Something Worth Living For
by tarexpanda
Summary: Rukia has to choose between becoming a human or returning to Soul Society. RenxRukxIch Finally Finished!
1. A Walk in the Park

**A/N:** I just wrote this fic as a 'what-could've-happened' thing, so no soul-society arc or anything just think of it as a different story line (after chapter 51 in the manga) with the same characters n such.. please rr, criticisms/comments appreciated

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters and such

* * *

Chapter 1

It was night as Rukia walked down the street alone. There was no threat of hollows in their area so she and Ichigo seized the chance to finally be able to relax. He had gone to hang out with Asano, Mizuiro, and Chad, but Rukia had chosen to finally have a night for herself. She found herself wandering to the park where she and Ichigo had always trained. Rukia stopped to look up at the night sky and breathed in the cool air.

As she stood there a man came out from the shadows and locked his arm around her neck. Rukia froze for a moment, then in one swift action she stepped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach causing him to loosen his grip. Before he could even blink she reached back and grabbed his shoulders, using them to flip her over his head and end up behind him. She then did a low kick that swept him to the ground and stood over him as she aimed her punch at his face.

She stood over him breathing heavily with her fist stopped less than an inch away from his nose. They stayed like that for a moment before the corners of her mouth slowly curved.

"Hello.. Abarai Renji"

* * *

Renji looked at her as he got up and dusted himself off. Rukia stood there with her legs apart and her arms crossed, a stance he knew well. She looked almost the exact same as when he had last seen her. But as he looked at her face he could tell something was different. He couldn't explain it clearly, but she wasn't the same Rukia that he remembered.. 

She watched him warily as he stared at her. A part of her wanted to rush to him and welcome the only friend she had grown up with, but the other part reminded her that he was not her friend anymore, he was a vice-captain. There were so many things she wanted to tell him and ask him, but she knew this wasn't the time for frivolous talk.

Renji was the first to break the cold silence. With a smile and a playful voice, he called out to her. "Kuchiki Rukia-aaa. You haven't changed much, looks like you can still beat my ass up"

"You can cut the crap. I know you let me win just to test me. Why are you here?" she replied, never taking her eyes off of him.

He smirked and looked directly back at her, "Your brother told me to bring you home. You won't get in any trouble for this incident, just tell me who took your powers and I'll kill that-"

"He has nothing to do with this," she interrupted hurriedly. When she spoke he noticed something flash across her eyes, but in a split second, it was gone. Was it fear? Worry? Whatever it was, it annoyed the hell out of him.

Rukia paused and stared off into the sky. "Funny, isn't it. The only time my brother looks at me is when I do something wrong that displeases him," After a moment she looked back at Renji and asked, "Why are you really here? They don't send vice-captains to look for stray dogs"

Renji knew he could never get away with lying to her, Rukia knew him all too well. He wiped the smirk off his face and looked at her sternly. When he spoke his tone was serious. "I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but you need to know the real reason why you need to come back. You've been here so long, your integration with your gigai is at 98 percent. But the thing is, your gigai, it wasn't made by Soul Society. If you reach 100 percent, you.. you'll be stuck in that body. You need to come back with me, or you will become a human."

The last sentence rang out in the cold night air. Rukia didn't respond. He could tell that she was troubled as she turned her back to him and stared at the ground. They stayed like that for minutes that felt like hours to him.

She finally turned around to face him, but she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. "Well, you're going to have to go back without me. There's too many hollows keeping me busy here, I can't go now."

This time it was Renji who knew she was lying. He felt something snap as he grabbed her arms and shook her violently. "Listen to me, you idiot! If you stay, you'll become a human. You'll never get to come back. You will never come back to Soul Society, you won't be a shinigami anymore, you won't have any powers, you won't live as long as we do, you won't.."

_You won't be with me._

He ignored the words he wanted to say and lowered his voice, "You will die as a worthless human."

His last words were so cold Rukia felt as if she had been slapped. She just stood there staring at the ground, unable to speak. As Renji turned and walked away, he called out to her, "I'll give you a week to get things settled." And in a flash he was gone.

She didn't bother to look up when he left. Several hours passed before she could bring herself to move from that spot.

* * *

When she arrived back, she found the light still on in Ichigo's room. He had tried to stay up and wait for her, but sleep had overcome him and he sat on his bed dozing off with a book falling out of his hands. 

She watched him sleep for a little, just thinking. _Ichigo, he has so much to worry about already. Hollows, school, protecting his family, if I tell him what's going on it will just be a burden, anothing thing for him to worry about. I won't tell him anything, it will just make things harder_. She made up her mind and cleared her throat loudly.

Ichigo suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, pretending to be reading. "Oh Rukia," he said casually, "you're back. I was just, uh, studying." She glanced at the upside-down book he held in his hands. "Ah, I see," she replied, with a knowing smile.

They said their goodnights and she went to her closet as he flipped the light switch. But that night sleep did not come to her until long after the lights went out.

* * *

**Note:** I intend on making this a multi-chapter fic, should I continue? 


	2. A Dangerous Encounter

Chapter 2

The next morning, Ichigo sat in the classroom listening to Asano's mindless chatter about all the different girls in their school. Bored, he watched the doorway out of the corner of his eye waiting for Rukia to arrive. Mizuiro had come early to pick him up, so he had barely seen her in the morning.

"Ohayo, Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue smiled shyly as she and Tatsuki entered the room. He meant to say good morning back, but he was interrupted by a loud "'Hime!" as Chizuru launched herself at Inoue. He watched slightly amused as Tatsuki start hitting her and calling her a pervert. His gaze wandered back to the doorway and his eyes opened in surprise.

Rukia posed in front of the door with a big bright smile on her face. "Ohayo!" she called out lavishly. "Kuchiki-saaaan!" Asano beamed with hearts in his eyes, "you look absolutely radiant this morning!" He would have ran and embraced her if Chad didn't have a firm grip on the back of his shirt.

Ichigo gawked at the show that Rukia was putting on. Today she was acting even more than usual. "She should really become an actress," he muttered under his breath. A little annoyed that she hadn't bothered to at least _pretend_ to greet him, he exhaled deeply and stared out the window.

"What's wrong Inoue?" asked Tatsuki, noting that Inoue had been unusually silent. "Nothing's wrong, Tatsuki-chan. It's just that, it seems like Kuchiki-san is very tense this morning. Like how Kurosaki-kun acts when he is bothered by something," Inoue replied. Tatsuki nodded, she had noticed the same thing. She was surprised, however, that of all people Inoue seemed to be the only other person that had observed it.

After school ended, Inoue and Tatsuki held Rukia back.. "Kuchiki-san! Tatsuki-chan and I are going to be having dinner together at my house tomorrow, will you come?" asked Inoue, with a warm smile on her face.

"Uh, er.. we'll see," stammered Rukia. Inoue shook her head from side to side and pouted, "You always says that. If you don't come, I'll make Tatsuki-chan kidnap you! So you're going to come, right?"

Rukia looked at the earnest determined expression on Inoue's face and couldn't help but smile. She nodded and waved goodbye to them as she turned and walked down the street.

* * *

When she walked to the end of the street, she found Ichigo waiting for her at the street corner. Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a loud screech. He glanced at her and she nodded as she gave him a hard shove with her gloved hand. Ichigo drew his zanpakutou and they ran towards the source.

They found it near the park that Rukia had visited the night before. The hollow stood before a spirit of a young girl, its large claws ready to strike at any moment. When they arrived, it sensed their spiritual energy and changed it's mind about it's prey. Ichigo ran towards it swinging his sword, but the hollow dodged quickly out of the way. The hollow let out an earsplitting shriek that caused both of them to stop in their tracks and cover their ears. It seized it's opportunity and charged at Rukia.

She saw the hollow approaching her, but the pain in her ears had caused her legs to buckle underneath her, rendering her defenseless. Just as it's claws were about to hit her, Ichigo grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. His face grimaced in pain from the noise, but he held on to his sword with one and hand and the other held Rukia's hand tightly. He stood in front of her as the hollow came rushing towards them. Using all his energy, Ichigo raised his sword and swung it in the air. With a piercing scream the hollow was extinguished, but Ichigo's sword never touched it.

When they regained the use of all their senses, they noticed that they were not alone. A man walked towards them with a confident swagger, holding a sword resting behind his shoulder. Rukia's eyes opened wide in shock when she realized that her hand was still held tightly by Ichigo. She tried to pull it out, but the sight of this man with very suspicious tattoos had Ichigo tightening his grip instinctively. Not having much of a choice, Rukia tried to hide their hands behind his back, hoping that it would not be noticed.

But Renji had noticed it very well, and at that moment was thinking of the millions ways he could carve up this young punk with the orange hair. He approached them and stood in front of Ichigo.

Renji eyed Ichigo up and down. He did not like the look of this kid with the constantly angry looking face. He **especially** did not like the fact that Rukia hid behind him, looking as if she had something to hide. "Is this the human that stole your powers, Rukia?" he asked, keeping his eyes narrowed on her.

"Rukia, you know this guy?" Ichigo asked, feeling very uncomfortable by the intense scrutiny he was receiving by this complete stranger. He felt her tense up, and he noticed that she was unable to look either of them in the eye. "He, he's an old.." she began, unsure of what to say. Could she still call him a friend? _No, he doesn't think of me like that anymore. Those days that we were friends, it was all in the past_. "A person from Soul Society, coming to check up on me. Vice-captain of the 6th division. A vice-captain," she repeated as a reminder to herself.

Renji listened closely for what she would say. For some reason, her words stung. He berated himself inwardly for hoping that she would say something different. Anything that would imply that they had _some_ kind of relationship. But her words were empty; to her, he meant nothing.

Ichigo looked back at Renji and not knowing what else to do, he introduced himself. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, a friend of Rukia's. I'm a temporary Shinigami.."

"Don't defile the name of shinigami by thinking that someone like you can actually become one," Renji sneered, his temper starting to rise. "Remove your filthy human hand off of Rukia, she is one of us." With that he grabbed on to Rukia's other hand and pulled her to him.

"You're going to have to make me," Ichigo lifted an eyebrow and pulled her back. Renji dragged her back again, "If you don't let go of that hand, I will show you what a real shinigami's power is."

Rukia's arms started to ache as they yanked her back and forth. She tried to free her hands, but it was to no avail. "Renji, Ichigo, let.me.go.NOW" she threatened icily. They released her hands at the same time but they never took their eyes off of each other.

Rukia rubbed her sore hands and noticed the growing tension between the two guys in front of her. "Come on Ichigo, lets just go now," Rukia pleaded, but Ichigo ignored her and just tightened his grip on his sword. "This tattoo-eyebrow guy is really pissing me off. Stay out of this and just go home! I'll see you back in our roo-mph"

At his last sentence Rukia slapped her hand over his mouth, but it was too late. "Renji, its not like that. Listen to me, just leave with me and we'll ta-"

"Shut up! Do you think that I'm stupid? That I didn't already know!" Renji roared. He drew his sword out and pointed it at Ichigo as a challenge. Murderous intent gleamed in his eyes and he could hear nothing now except for the blood pounding in his head. "My name is Renji. Abarai Renji. Remember this name well, for it is the name of the man that will kill you."

Ichigo smirked and held his sword out in front of him. "I don't know what all is going on, but I never back down from a challenge. You will remember me, I am the human that will defeat you."

"Stop!" Rukia demanded as she grabbed on to Ichigo's arm. "If you do this I won't forgive you. Let's just go, dammit!" Ichigo just shook his head and pushed her out of the way.

Renji and Ichigo met each other's glance, and with a yell they charged towards each other. Their blades sliced through the air as they aimed to kill the other. All of a sudden, something appeared between them. Renji and Ichigo pulled back their zanpakutou as fast as they could. When the dust settled, they stood in a stunned silence.

Between them was Rukia, standing calmly as blood trickled down to her face from where the two blades had left identical scratches on both cheeks.

In shock, Renji stared at the blood. Unsure how to approach her, he tried to see if she was okay. "Ru-"

"Rukia!" Ichigo threw down his sword and stood in front of her. His hands touched her face gently, but she thrust his hands away roughly and refused to look at either of them. She had a cold look on her face and without a word she walked past both of them. Ichigo waited for a moment, and then seemed to make up his mind and followed after her.

As she passed by Renji he reached behind her and touched her arm lightly. She paused, as if she was waiting for him to do something. A familiar feeling passed over him, a sudden desire to grab onto her. But he could not bring himself to do it, and he let his arm fall back to his side. And he let her go. Again.

* * *

**Note:** A big thank you to **Carollipop** for the much needed criticism. The chapter kinda stunk before, my apologies, so it has been revised and reposted. It's unnecessary to read it again, I just like this version better than the last. Please read and review and stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	3. Apples and Strawberries

Chapter 3

Rukia sat in the corner of her closet with her knees drawn to her chest. Ichigo had tried everything he could to coax her out the night before, but she continued to ignore him. In the morning he had left the house early, returning every hour to his room, only to go back out again. _What is he plotting?_ she thought as she eyed his shadow suspiciously.

Ichigo paced back in forth in front on the closet. Every now and then he would pause and raise his arm as if he were going to knock, but he would take a deep breath and his arm would drop back to his side as he went back to walking. He stopped and studied the small paper sack that he held in his hand. At that moment, Rukia suddenly threw open the closet door.

"Rukia!" Ichigo quickly hid the bag behind his back. "Hey- wait! I-" he called as Rukia brushed by him and exited out his window without even a passing glance. Ichigo gave a frustrated yell and hurled the package against the closet. Cursing at the empty room, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

When Rukia arrived at Inoue's house, she found Tatsuki already waiting inside. She greeted the both of them as she sat on the floor next to Tatsuki. "Tatsuki-chan's mother brought us over some food." Inoue gestured at the table and gave a small pout, "I had already bought leeks, butter and bananas for dinner tonight, but I guess I'll just have to save that recipe for another night." _What was she planning on making us? _Rukia and Tatsuki exchanged dubious glances as they inwardly thanked Tatsuki's mother.

When Rukia lifted her spoon she realized that she was ravenous. She started eating as fast as she could before she noticed that Tatsuki and Inoue were watching her in a slight shock. She lowered her chopsticks slowly and smiled nervously.

"Kuchiki-san," Inoue smiled and patted her on the arm lightly, "It's okay, you can act and talk comfortably in front of us. We'd just like to be your friends." Rukia looked up suddenly in surprise and studied Inoue's expression for some hidden motive. She found nothing except a genuine warmth and openness that seemed to radiate from Inoue's soft brown eyes. All the years of training as a shinigami had never prepared her for this; a simple invitation of friendship.

_Friendship_. She was not very good at being friends with someone. The gang she was with when she grew up in the Rukongai was nothing more than a band of kids who could depend on no one else but themselves. They had all passed away, _save me and Renji,_ she mused. Just the thought of his name brought a pang to her heart and she pushed him out of her mind. But these humans, these girls she had only known for a few months, were offering her something she had longed for all those lonely years in the Kuchiki family. Rukia relaxed and felt the mask that she always put on melt away by the eager smiles on their faces. "Thank you."

* * *

They chatted while they ate and not once did Rukia feel out of place or uncomfortable, except for when Tatsuki noted that Rukia's dress looked almost exactly like one she had outgrown and given to Yuzu years before. As Inoue peeled apples, Rukia told them about a time that she had gotten chased away by the convenience store owner near the school. The store had a small machine outside that involved a claw that dropped down and picked up stuffed animals. When studying the contraption, she had noticed a plushie that looked remarkably like Chappy the Rabbit at the very bottom. She tried to tip and shake the machine in order to get the rabbit to the top. Needless to say, the storeowner was not very happy and chased her off with a broom. She conveniently left out the fact that she had been with Ichigo at the time; his name hadn't been brought up the whole night and she didn't want to ruin it.

They all laughed at her story and Tatsuki leaned back with a sigh. "I remember the feel of that storeowners broom too well. That was the first and last time that Ichigo and I ever shoplifted a candy bar." Rukia instantly stiffened at the mention of his name, but it went unnoticed as Tatsuki continued, "Talking about Ichigo, I actually saw him at that store today. He seemed really tense about something. Did you two fight or something?"

"Wh- I.. NO!" she exclaimed a little too suddenly. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she picked up a toothpick. "All guys are idiots," she declared, each word punctuated with a vicious stab to her apple slice before she stuffed the whole thing in her mouth.

"Indeed! They're all pigheaded brats with short tempers." Tatsuki speared an apple and stuffed it in her mouth with gusto. "I rearry dun shee wha O'hime shee in him," she added, spraying apple bits everywhere.

Playing along, Inoue stuck a large piece in her mouth also. "He buhhee! He pape eh ahhae dee!" She exclaimed, using her finger to wrinkle her forehead and push up her chin. They couldn't tell a word she said, but the sight of her Ichigo expression and the fact that they all had apples bulging out of their mouths caused them to all start laughing hysterically.

When they finally collected themselves Tatsuki noticed the time and remembered that her mom wanted her back early. She and Rukia helped Inoue clean up and stood to leave as they said their farewells.

Inoue held the door for them as they left, and as Rukia walked by she called out, "Would it be okay.. if I called you.. Rukia-chan?"

Rukia glanced at Inoue as she walked away, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, I would like that."

* * *

Rukia arrived back in Ichigo's room. Finding the room empty, she kicked off her shoes and headed to the closet when she stepped on a brown bag. Curious, she opened it and examined its contents. She surveyed the rest of the room, her eyes resting on his bottom dresser drawer that was still slightly ajar. She peered in and things seemed to finally click in her head. Without a second thought she dashed out of his room, a single thing consuming her thoughts. _Ichigo._

* * *

**Note: **a filler chapter..I hope it didn't seem to pointless, I just wanted to highlight all the aspects of "human" life instead of just the whole love triangle thingie. but for those of you following the love story, just wait for the next chapter.. bwahaha.

Please read and review, the comments and criticisms are really helpful!


	4. Lions, Tigers, and Bears!

Chapter 4

Rukia's bare feet slapped the cold pavement as she ran down the street looking for Ichigo. It had all started few minutes before when she had come back from dinner with Inoue and Tatsuki

_She felt a twinge of disappointment when she came into the empty room, but she shrugged it off as indigestion and kicked off her shoes as she made her way to the closet. Rukia had eyed the package on the floor suspiciously at first, but after ascertaining that it wasn't a bomb of any sort she dumped its contents out on to the floor._

_Out of the bag fell a white fuzzy Chappy the Bunny. Rukia let out small gasp and a bright smile flashed across her face as she stared at the long coveted stuffed animal. When she realized she was smiling she quickly wiped it off her face and replaced it with what she hoped was a cool disinterested look. She was glancing around the room to make sure no one had seen her expression when she noticed something slightly amiss._

_She walked over to Ichigo's dresser and yanked open the bottom drawer that was not shut all the way. Curiosity getting the better of her, she peered in only to find to her surprise that it was filled to the top with stuffed animals. Rukia sifted through the plushies, wondering why Ichigo had them and why she felt as though she had seen them before._

_And then she realized it, she had seen them before. They were the stuffed animals that were in the claw machine at the convenience store where she had spotted Chappy._

_"Talking about Ichigo, I actually saw him at that store today" _

_So that means.. recalling Tatsuki's words from before, the answer suddenly dawned on Rukia and she had dashed out of the room._

Rukia slowed her pace as she felt a dull ache in her feet start to throb. She had left the room on impulse but now she was starting to question her reason for reacting the way that she did. _I'm just going to forgive him and thank him for Chappy_, she reminded herself, but a part of her knew that it was something other than Chappy that had caused her to start running. Deciding that she didn't really want to know what it was, she cleared her thoughts and turned the corner.

* * *

Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets as he wandered the streets. He hadn't been back to his room all day and he found that without Rukia he didn't really have anything to do. He had wasted all of his cash in the morning when he had went back and forth winning toys from the machine. _Why did that damn rabbit have to be on the very bottom_? Ichigo scowled and scratched the back of his head, _that's the last time I take advice from an eleven year old._ He had thought of asking Tatsuki for advice when he had seen her, but her answer always involved hittingpeople and he didn't think that would be the best solution in his case. So he had settled with asking Yuzu what to do when her friends were angry, and her advice was giving them stuffed animals. That led him to Happy, or Chaffy, whatever that thing was called. 

That was one of the reasons why he was out in the cold instead of his warm room. He didn't want to be in there when she found it, it was too _embarrassing_. Ichigo exhaled loudly and stared up at the sky. Usually around this time he would be in his room doing homework while Rukia would lie on his bed reading a comic book or drawing stupid pictures all over his stuff. He could almost see her, her eyebrows slightly narrowed in that determined expression she had while she was thinking, her lips set in a slight curve so that he couldn't tell if she was smirking or smiling, that lock of hair that always fell in between her eyes and the rest of her silky black hair flowing behind her gracefully as she ran. _Shit,_ Ichigo shook his head violently, _now I'm hallucinating._ He blinked several times and rubbed his eyes before he realized that he still saw her; it really _was _Rukia running towards him.

"Ichigo," it came out almost as a whisper as Rukia stopped in front of him and caught her breath. Her eyes seemed to shine from the moonlight as his gaze locked into hers. Not able to think of anything to say she began feeling sheepish, so she crossed her arms and turned around to avoid looking at him."Thank you," she said curtly.

Ichigo's eyebrow lifted and his smirk grew, "You came out looking like _that_ just to tell me thank you?" Rukia whirled around glaring, "What is that supposed to mean? I look like wh-" Her sentence was cut short when she realized that he wasn't standing in front of her. She looked around and found him bending on the ground in front of her reaching for her foot.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded as she backed away. He merely growled and grabbed her feet and placed his tennis shoes on them. "Idiot, you want to walk into my room with those dirty feet of yours?" Ichigo straightened and marched past her leaving Rukia in a stunned silence.

"Yo, Rukia," Ichigo paused but didn't turn around to face her, "I'm sorry, for yesterday. I should've listened to you-" Rukia passed by him with her nose in the air. "Of course you should have, I'm both older and wiser than you. I guess I'll forgive you this time," she replied haughtily, causing Ichigo's eye to start twitching as he followed after her muttering curses under his breath.

They walked side by side peacefully when Ichigo finally broke the silence, "Oh yeah, Rukia, how do you know that weird tattoo guy? He was acting like a crazy ex-boyfriend or something."

Rukia's back stiffened slightly before she turned slowly with a sly look in her eyes. "Why, are you interested in my personal life? Could it be that Kurosaki Ichigo is jealous?" she taunted.

"I.. I'm not jealous! And I'm not interested in your personal life!" Ichigo exlaimed a little too loudly.

"Then don't ask," Rukia replied simply as she quickened her pace.

_Why do I fall for it every time!_ Ichigo could feel the blood pulsing to his head, shaking his fist at her as he ran to catch up.

"Damn it!"

* * *

He watched from the shadows as the orange haired kid trailed after Rukia. He had been there from the beginning, disappointed but not surprised that Rukia could not sense him being near. She had become too used to this human world, he realized bitterly when she started running around on the street without noticing that he had trailed her the entire time. He hated the fact that she ran around looking for that guy, he hated theway her eyes shone when shesaw him, he hated that guy for putting his shoes on her feet, and he hated the fact that she let him. But most of all, he hated himself for caring so damn much and not doing anything about it. 

Renji stood in the darkness until their voices had faded, and with a swish of his robes he disappeared into the night.

* * *

The next morning Rukia woke up to what she could only assume as a war raging outside of her closet door. 

"Ichigooooo!"

"Gyaah! Get out of here you crazy old man!"

A scuffle ensued and then they spoke in normal tones before Rukia heard crying and the slamming of the room door. She slid her door aside after a few minutes of silence only to find Ichigo sitting on the floor rubbing at the footprint on his face.

"He's insane, he's really mentally ill," Ichigo muttered to no one in particular. Rukia glanced at him indifferently, this was not the first morning confrontation that she had witnessed and they tended to always end the same. With one arm clutched around Chappy and the other holding a horror manga, she layed herself lazily on Ichigo's bed.

Ichigo turned his attention to Rukia with his forehead wrinkled in thought. Sparing him a glare over her book, she lifted a single eyebrow.

"Something wrong?"

He pointed his finger at the stuffed animal and then at her, "What is it with you and this rabbit anyway? Did you own one when you were younger or something?"

"Baka, rabbits don't have souls,we can'thave rabbits in Soul Society," she said flatly.

"Have you ever really seen a rabbit before?" Ichigo asked, determined to find out her obsession with the thing.

"Once or twice, wild of course. I don't know," she shrugged, "I just like bunnies. And raccoons. And bears, puppies, cats.. basically fuzzy creatures."

Ichigo sprang to his feet and left the room, saying some excuse about seeing his sisters. Rukia ignored him, too engrossed in the demon that was stalking one of her characters. When he returned he had such a smug look on his face that she put her book down and looked at him curiously.

"Say, Rukia, have you ever gone to the zoo?"

* * *

"Onii-chan, what are we waiting for?" Yuzu looked up at her older brother who was staring off into the distance. Karin smirked and pointed in the opposite direction. "Looking for your girlfriend?" 

"She's not my girlfriend! She's just a friend from school." Ichigo whispered loudly as he wheeled around. They waited as Rukia pranced over to them.

"Ohayo!" she flashed them a big smile as Ichigo introduced them. Whether because of their seemingly similar taste in clothes or because she just felt comfortable around her, Yuzu latched on to Rukia immediately. Karin on the other hand watched Rukia closely and tapped her chin. "I swear I've seen her before," she began when Ichigo realized the impending danger and quickly changed her attention to the tigers.

Somehow during the middle of the day Rukia had reverted to her usual self around Ichigo. Yuzu barely noticed the change but Karin relaxed having found another tomboy spirit to relate to. The three of them ran from animal to animal all the while chatting and licking ice cream cones. Ichigo shook his head as he followed after them getting slightly annoyed at being ignored. The annoyance was forgotten when he had to pull Rukia away from jumping into the bear den and tried to convince her that bears were in fact not very nice creatures.

"But, I'll just jump in there and touch it real fast. It can't be much more dangerous than a hollow," she hissed so that his sister's couldn't hear. Ichigo just shook his head and was thinking of a clever retort when Karin called her over to see the lions fighting. They stood and watched until the lions stopped playing and went off to sleep. Yuzu fell silent and then started sniffling.

"What's wrong?" Karin patted her on the back as a single tear rolled down her cheek. The soft-hearted girl looked up with her eyes brimming, "Karin-chan, do you think that these animals are lonely? Shouldn't we let them go back home? They left their homes and their families, and now they're here all alone. I bet they miss their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, but now they can never see them again."

Rukia shifted uncomfortably and stared off at the lions. Ichigo knelt in front ofYuzu and patted her head lightly. "Cheer up Yuzu, it's not that bad. They can't go back, they wouldn't fit in anymore. But look," he pointed at the lions who were leaning on each other as they slept, "since they came here they found new friends. I bet they wouldn't want to leave their new friends, right?" She nodded silently and wiped her nose on his sleeve.

He stood up and offered her his hand, "Now come on, I think that man over there is selling some cotton candy.."

* * *

The four of them walked down the street licking at the remains of the cotton candy on their fingers as the sun began to set. Karin jabbed Yuzu and silently motioned for her to walk ahead with her as Rukia and Ichigo fell behind. Ichigo turned his head to the side and studied the expression on her face. She looked peaceful and almost happy but her look was distant as she gave him a soft smile. 

"So, you had a good time today?" he said jokingly, remembering her racing around the zoo with two kids in tow.

Rukia just nodded, her mouth too sticky to try to speak at the moment. Concentrating on unsticking her teeth she didn't notice the curb until she found herself tripping over it. Before she knew it, something had stopped her fall. _Not something, someone.. _she realized when she felt two arms wrapped around her waist.

Sheraised her eyescautiously to meet the two eyes thatlooked back into her own. Suddenly very aware of their close proximity she remained very still as he set her back on her feet. When she felt solid ground he quickly released her and stuck his hands in his pocket as he sprinted towards his sisters. Confused and feeling rather unbalanced Rukia lifted a hand to her chest, unsure why her cheeks were burning and why that moment had bothered her so much. _What is this feeling..?_ And then she felt her body start shaking.

_No, my body isn't shaking,_ she looked at Ichigo who grabbed on to his scared sisters, _the ground is shaking_. She could see the massive shape of a hollow as it stomped towards them. Rukia ran unsteadily over to Ichigo and pointed to his sisters, "Ichigo, take them home!"

"What?" He gaped at her in disbelief and narrowed his eyebrows. "No way! Turn me-"

"Listen to me this time, go take them home. I'll head it off to the park, meet me there." Ichigo shook his head at first, but his attention was distracted when Yuzu fainted. Scooping her into his arms he clasped his free hand on Karin's and nodded his head at Rukia. "Don't make me worry."

She smirked as she ran toward the hollow, "Don't make me wait."

* * *

**Note:** i finally finished this chapter! sorry for leaving the chapters as cliffhangers, i really didn't mean to on that last chapter. its rather anti-climatic if you were waiting to know what was in the bag, my apologies. it took me a while because i tried not to make it too fluffy/ooc.. note the word _tried._ i have to admit, i'm a huge ich/rukfan, but that's no guarantee on how the story is going to end. for you renji lovers out there, the love triangle is going to start in the next chapter so be prepared. as always i love to recieve any and all comments and criticisms because they only make things better, so please read and review and enjoy! 


	5. Reminders and Revelations

Chapter 5

_Damn this gigai_, Rukia cursed her temporary body that lacked the physical prowess of her normal spiritual form as the Hollow followed mercilessly at her heels, _I can't keep this up for much longer. _The Hollow had easily taken her bait when she had led it away from Ichigo's sisters, but she did not realize that it would be so fast.

Rukia leapt out of the way as the Hollow's gigantic foot slammed down, smashing the concrete into a fine dust and causing all the trees to come crashing down around her. Her path blocked, she faced no other choice but to turn and charge the oncoming hollow. With a running start she kicked off a tree trunk and launched herself over the unsuspecting hollow to buy herself some time. She used her hands to skid to a stop and then chanted under her breath as the hollow rotated its head around looking for her. When it finally found the right direction, Rukia was ready with her hand up in front of her, "Destructi-"

She stopped before finishing the spell because something suddenly swooped over her head. Ducking instinctively, she looked up just in time to see the hollow get sliced down the middle by a figure in black. With a confident grin, he sheathed his zanpaktou, "Really, Rukia, you have to stop getting yourself in trouble."

"And you, Renji, need to work on your new obsession with dramatic entrances, " Rukia remarked coolly, careful not to show how relieved she was that he was there. She seriously doubted that her powers had returned enough to even lay a scratch on the hollow before it would have eaten her.

Her comment quickly wiped the grin off his face and it was replaced by a scowl. "That's all the thanks I get for saving you?"

Rukia lifted her chin and folded her arms defiantly. "'Saving' my ass, I could have handled it on my own."

"What were you going to do, annoy it to death?"

"Well, unlike you, I can't scare them off with my face."

"Why you little- at least I don't have to depend on a pathetic human for everything!" He glowered at her, resisting the urge to kick her in the back like he normally would. "Where is that orange bastard anyway? Don't tell me he's already gotten tired of you."

"Ichigo will be here soon."

Something about the surety in her voice made Renji's blood boil. He sure as hell would not just sit there and let that human take her away from him _again._ Without a word he seized Rukia's elbow in his hand and pulled her along.

"Where are you going?" Rukia asked, tugging her arm out of his grasp and falling a step behind him.

"I still have a score to settle with that bastard. After I kill him I'm taking you back to Soul Society where you belong," he growled, not slowing his pace. Rukia caught up to him and touched his arm gently. He stopped, staring down at the pale hand clutching his black sleeve.

"Renji, please," she took her hand off his robe and looked up at him, her eyes pleading silently.

"Why, Rukia?" He grabbed her shoulder and examined her face closely, "Tell me why I shouldn't go and kill him right now."

"Because I-" she paused when she realized that she didn't know how to answer her own sentence. _Because I what? _She thought of the past few months and the moments they had shared. It was the small things he did that stood out in her mind, like how he always put the straw in juiceboxes for her, how he would leave the light on in his room at night, and how he always seemed to remember her favorite things. _Could it be that I..? No, get a grip on yourself Rukia. _Realizing that she had let her mind wander too long, she bit her lip and averted her face from Renji's intense scrutiny. "Because he's my friend," she said finally.

"A friend!" Renji threw his head back and laughed. "Who are you trying to fool Rukia? It sounds like you're trying to convince that more to yourself than to me." Rukia lifted her head up in surprise and Renji could see a mixture of emotions flicker across her face

"If he was just _friend_ to you, you wouldn't be looking at me with that human-like expression on your face!" Rukia remained silent and stared down at the ground as Renji grabbed her other shoulder and shook her forcefully. "You are a shinigami, Rukia! You're from the noble Kuchiki family, you shouldn't have those useless emotions! We grew up together and we trained together, have you forgotten everything we learned? You just threw away your shinigami duties and responsibilities, are you going to throw away your past, your future, and your life as well? Have you forgotten who you are?"

Renji took deep breath and leaned in to speak in her ear, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "If you stay here you'll just become more of a burden to that boy. Without you he'll be able to live the rest of his short life in peace. By leaving you'll be doing both of yourselves a favor." Sensing a strong spiritual pressure approaching them he released his grip abruptly and strolled past her. "You have four more days."

"Renji.." she called out softly hoping that he would come back, but he was already gone.

"Oi! Rukia!" Rukia whipped around only to find Ichigo running towards her. "Fu- hollow.. where?" he huffed incoherently, trying to catch his breath.

She was silent for a long moment before she turned and pointed her arms around. "Does it look like there's a hollow around here?"

Ichigo could tell that there was something she wasn't telling him, but he decided not to bring it up and instead glared at her while he asked, "Do you always have to be such a smart-ass?" Rukia merely raised an eyebrow and walked away. Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed after her. "Yeah, stupid question."

* * *

After taking a shower Rukia changed into pajamas and walked across the hall to Yuzu and Karin's room. Standing in the doorway she leaned her head against the doorframe and watched the little girls sleep. Growing up as an orphan and then having a brother like Byakuya, she had never known what real families were like. When she was younger she would sometimes dream of having a family, but after she became a shinigami it became just a useless fantasy that she put behind her. The more she saw of Ichigo's family though, the more those dreams started to resurface. _I wonder what it would be like to have a family, children, a husband.. _

"Rukia-"

Rukia snapped her eyes open only to find Ichigo's face right in front of her. "Ah!" she exclaimed, mortified at having being caught daydreaming about such impossible things.

"Idiot, is my face that scary?" Ichigo cocked his head and studied her carefully. Rukia was definitely acting strangely, she didn't even notice that he had been standing behind her for several minutes before he had called out her name. He glanced over her shoulder at the two girls sleeping peacefully. "Everything okay?"

"They won't remember anything after the zoo," she said, regaining her composure as they made their way back to Ichigo's room.

Rukia was walking past him towards the closet when Ichigo reached back and caught her hand. "That's not what I meant." Rukia froze in her tracks, neither of them attempting to turn around. "I mean, is everything okay.. with you.."

She felt her heart skip a beat and she tried desperately to hold down the flush that was creeping up her cheeks. "I'm fine. It's just been a long day, that's all."

"Rukia, you told me once that until I was okay to talk, you would wait." Ichigo gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before he let her go. "The same goes for me."

She halted for a second with her hand on the closet door and her lips curved into a smile. "…yeah, I know."

* * *

After Rukia entered the closet Ichigo left his room and headed for the bathroom. _What is she doing to me?_ He splashed water on his face and scrubbed furiously. Lately he had caught himself thinking about her more and more, and frankly, it was starting to unnerve him. Every time he was around her, he found himself tongue tied and saying things he didn't mean or falling for her teasing. Back in his room he just meant to thank her and say goodnight, but his stupid hand acted on its own. Drying his face, Ichigo stared at himself in the mirror. 

"You're embarrassing yourself, Ichigo"

_Great, now I'm talking to myself in third-person. She really is driving me crazy._

Ichigo took a deep breath and he caught a familiar scent. He smelled _her. _Earlier in the day when he caught Rukia after she tripped he had caught a whiff of her hair and it had been haunting him all day.

"Why is she always on my mind?"

_Because you like her, idiot. _

"I like her."

It came out sounding more like a death threat than a confession. _I like her? Since when..?_ But he already knew the answer to his question. It had all started after she had entered the room like she owned the place and she drew that ridiculous picture with rabbits. From that moment that she had introduced herself not as a shinigami but as Kuchiki Rukia, her name had ingrained itself in his head. He had always made the excuse that he stayed around her because of hollows, but they both knew that wasn't true. She had saved his life, changed it drastically, and now he couldn't remember what it was like before her.

_But does she feel the same about me? _He didn't really know much about her old life. From the way she talked about it, Soul Society sounded like the perfect place. And here she was, freeloading off him until her powers come back. But what then? They had never discussed what she would do after her powers returned, he had just assumed that she would go back.

"I don't want her to leave"

_So give her a reason to stay. _

"How?"

_There's nothing else to do, you're just going to have to tell her. _

"Aw, shit"

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it took so long for me to post! I've just been so busy with school this past month.. but luckily the worst of it has come and gone so the rest of the chapters should be up every week or so. I hope no one turned out too ooc, but i thought it was time somebody finally admitted their feelings out loud. please read and review! comments give me incentive to ditch school work and write! (hehe.. just kidding..well, not really..) 


	6. Interruptions

Chapter 6

"…and then the giant rabbits escaped from the zoo and it let us ride on its back all the way home!.."

Ichigo came down the stairs only to overhear Yuzu telling their father of yesterday's "events." _Giant rabbits? Is it just me or are these replaced memories getting more bizarre? _He shook his head as he took a seat across from Karin who was already on her second bowl. When he sat down she folded her arms and examined his face. "What?" Ichigo asked, nervous that something might have went wrong with the memory chikan.

"You seem different today, Ichi-nii." Karin flashed him a devilish grin, "could it have anything to do with your girlfriend?"

"She's not-"

"What? My son has his first girlfriend?" Isshin flew over to them with tears flowing from his eyes and bombarded Ichigo with questions. "Is she cute? Does she have big breasts? A nice butt? How far have you gone with her?-"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Ichigo roared vehemently and slammed his hand down on the table, "Leave me alone you old pervert!" Snatching his breakfast he stomped past his father and up the stairs.

Isshin stood with his mouth still wide open and turned to face his daughters. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

Ichigo went inside the room and found Rukia sprawled out on the floor surrounded by paper. She was wearing another one of Yuzu's small dresses and he couldn't help but notice how much of her legs it revealed. Focussed on her drawing at hand, Rukia barely acknowledged his entrance and grabbed for another marker. When she reached for it her dress seemed to rise even higher causing Ichigo to tug at his shirt collar. He tried to will himself to turn away but his body refused to comply. A rogue marker rolled away from her and ended up near his feet but he didn't notice. 

Rukia stretched out her arms and glanced up at him sharply. "What are you doing?"

"Ah," Caught in an awkward moment, Ichigo cleared his throat and snapped back to his senses. _Say something! Anything! _"I.. that is.. picture. That picture you are drawing is a rabbit, huh?" Ichigo forced himself to move his eyes away from her legs and cringed inwardly, his words didn't even make sense to himself.

Rukia mistook his discomfort as mockery and launched an open marker at his head. "Yes, it's a rabbit! What's with that look? Are you mocking me, you bastard?"

"No! I'm.. hey!" Ichigo raised his arms to deflect the markers being pelted towards him. It wasn't until after she ran out of ammo that he deemed it safe to lower his guard. "I didn't mean to insult you! I just wanted to tell you that I.. I-"

"Idiot, you can't even think of something else! You were making fun of me!" Rukia threw the last marker she had hidden behind her back and hit him square on the middle of his forehead.

Ichigo's control snapped and he had to resist the urge to throttle her. "I never said anything about your stupid drawings!"

"Oh, so now my pictures are stupid?"

"No, your drawings are great.. for a five-year old! I get it now, that explains why you act and look the way you do!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You act like a child and look like one too!"

Rukia scrambled to her feet and shook her fist menacingly. "Don't forget who you're talking to, rookie, I'm almost ten times older than you."

"Then stop acting like a kid! And stop wearing those ridiculously short skirts and dresses!"

"Fine!" Rukia reached down to grabbed the hem of her dress and starting to lift it slowly.

Ichigo's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he waved his arms wildly in the air. "What are you doing!"

She lowered her hands and put on her innocent act. "I don't have anything else to wear."

"Then go out and get some!"

"Fine! Then take me out and buy me clothes today!"

"Fine!" Ichigo stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. It wasn't until he was downstairs that he realized an important life truth: Rukia always wins.

* * *

Ichigo followed behind Rukia with his hands stuffed in his pockets. They had been walking around for what felt like hours and had bought a total of zero clothing. He had thought about trying to tell her but the situation never seemed to present itself. The stress of wanting to get it all out was just killing him and she didn't even seem to notice. 

Rukia, in fact, was so caught up in her surroundings that she barely paid attention to him at all. She had never actually gone shopping in a mall before, as a shinigami their wardrobe was severely limited. Pushing through the crowds she ran from window to window like a child in a candy shop. _I don't really need new clothes since I'm going back to Soul Society soon, _she thought sullenly when she suddenly spotted a dress out of the corner of her eye, _but I guess I could let him buy me a parting gift._

Dragging the reluctant Ichigo into the store she took the dress and disappeared into the dressing room. When she stepped out Ichigo almost forgot to breathe and he couldn't bring himself to close his mouth. Rukia ran her fingers down and smoothed down the cloth as she looked at reflection in the mirror. It was a light violet, strapless, A-line dress that accentuated her bosum and made Ichigo wonder how he _ever_ thought she looked like a child.

"How do I look?" She twirled in place and posed like the models in the window. Ichigo, still unable to put together a coherent thought let alone a sentence, merely grunted which Rukia took as a sign of approval. "Good, I'll take this one." She changed back quickly and left it in his arms for him to pay.

One glance down at the price tag quickly brought him back to reality. He turned around to look for her and found her outside the store gesturing for him to hurry. "That bitch!"

They walked together towards the mall exit with Ichigo still muttering what sounded suspiciously like 'freeloader' and other names under his breath. But his anger was quickly dissipating at the sight of content on Rukia's face. As they walked she glanced over at him and caught him watching her. Ichigo swiftly shifted his eyes and pretended to be staring at the store windows behind her.

"Yo, Rukia" He began, suddenly unsure how he was going to do this.

"Yeah?" She studied him carefully, wondering if maybe making him buy her a dress was a little much. _It's not like he has any obligation to buy me things.._ but one look at her purchase smothered her doubt, _But then again, what are friends for? _

"I wanted to tell you-"

"Ichigo.." Rukia interrupted, but Ichigo ignored her and tried to continue. If he didn't tell her now he felt like he was going to go crazy.

"I think I- oomphff" He would have finished his sentence if he hadn't run in to what felt like a brick wall. Dazed, he looked up and found that he had run into a large guy looking down at him curiously and who was accompanied by a familiar face. "Chad? Ishida? What the hell are you guys doing here?"

"Last I heard, the mall is public property to whomever wants to shop here." Ishida replied haughtily, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Ichigo disregarded his comment and turned to his other friend. "Chad! What are you doing hanging out with this prick?"

Chad thought for a moment before he answered slowly, "We met… and then.. we came here."

"WHAT?" Rukia and Ichigo were both taken aback at his simple answer. "You got lazy so you're not telling us the whole story again!" Ichigo accused.

"Well, if you really want to know. I encountered Sado-kun on my way towards Sunflower Tailor in order to refill my sewing supplies. He was in the process of trying to pet a cat which then attacked him and shredded his shirt to pieces. Using my emergency kit on hand I offered to sew it back together which then prompted our discussion of where he buys such large shirts. Seeing that there are not many stores that cater to people of his size and I myself needing a challenge, I took on the feat of making him a wardrobe by my own two hands. But with the lack of material on hand I decided that he would accompany me to a fabric store-"

He never got to finish his long-winded story, it ended when two hands flew and whacked him on both sides of his head. "Shut up!" Ichigo shouted, "You're story is too long!" The other hand belonged to Rukia and she nodded in agreement. Afraid that Ishida would start up another narrative, they gave a goodbye wave to Sado and made a speedy getaway out of the mall.

Ishida and Chad watched the duo as they made their escape. Sticking his nose in the air, Ishida repositioned his glasses and spun around dramatically. "Let's go make your shirt, Sado-kun." Shrugging his massive shoulders, Sado took one last longing look at the exit before he followed after him.

* * *

"You could have told me I was about to run into something!" Once they were a safe distance away from the mall Ichigo turned on Rukia and rubbed his sore forehead. 

"You should have been looking where you were going." She said matter-of-factly, watching him amusedly. "What were you saying before?"

"B-before? I don't know how to tell you-"

"Well then, don't say it," Rukia dismissed him with a wave and pointed at a stand across the street, "let's go there."

"Wha- Hey!"

* * *

With two ice cream cones in his hands, Ichigo made his way towards Rukia who was waiting for him on a bench. Handing her the strawberry and keeping the chocolate for himself they licked their cones in silence. 

"Ruki-" "Ichi-" They realized that they had both tried to speak at the same time so they both stopped and waited for the other to continue. Pausing awkwardly, Ichigo motioned Rukia to continue.

"I just wanted to say.. Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome, I guess. That dress, it.. it looks nice on you."

Rukia was lost in thought as she turned eyes to the horizon turned golden from the setting sun, "Not just for the dress, for everything.."

"…"

"He always knew I liked rabbits"

"Huh?" Ichigo was about to ask her what she was talking about, but he decided against it and let her speak.

"You wanted to know why I liked Chappy so much. It's because he.. he bought me my first present." Ichigo didn't have to ask to know who she was talking about. For the first time since he met her she was letting him see a crack in her tough exterior. Rukia continued, her eyes lost in some far off memory that she had stored away long ago.

"For a few weeks he was always busy and he told me that he was too cool to play with me. At first I was mad and I kicked him in the butt when he left. He came back tossing a stuffed animal at me, telling me that he found it in the trash and that the owners had called it 'Chappy.' That idiot, I could tell that he had rolled it in the dirt right before he gave it to me just to make it look dirty. I found out later that he stayed in a noble family's house doing chores for them during those weeks just so he could actually buy something, for once."

"I kept it for years, even longer than you've been alive. But then, I got adopted by the noble Kuchiki family. I came back from the Academy one day and all my belongings.. they were all gone. My brother didn't even look at me when he told me that they were burned like the trash that they were and that I should starting owning things which wouldn't bring shame to the family name."

"Rukia-" Ichigo called her name softly and it stirred her out of her past.

"Look at me, talking for this long. I'm starting to turn into Ishida." In an instant she reverted back to her old sarcastic self again, "Now its your turn."

_This is it, I'm finally going to tell her. _"I like y-"

"Onii-chan! Rukia onee-san!"

"Arrgh!" Ichigo roared. He was cut off yet again, this time by his two sisters who were coming towards him. _Why is this happening to me? They're all conspiring against me!_ He turned and glared at Rukia, _somehow.. somehow this is all her doing.._ "What are you two doing out by yourselves? And why are you calling her that?"

"She said we could call her that yesterday!" Yuzu piped in and beamed a radiant smile at Rukia.

"But isn't onee-san for a girl?" Ichigo grumbled so that only Rukia could hear him. "Ow!"

Grinding her foot on top of his, she smiled sweetly at the girls. "He's right, you shouldn't be out by yourselves, it's getting late. What are you girls up to?"

"Dad is busy at the clinic but we needed tofu and leeks for dinner." Yuzu pointed at the two bags of groceries Karin held in her hands. "Onee-san, do you want to come eat dinner with us tonight?"

Three pairs of eyes peered at her expectantly but Rukia shook her head. "No, but thank you for inviting me. I have some plans for tonight, I have to go see someone about some poor merchandise." Rukia bid them farewell and strolled down the street.

They waited until she was out of sight before Karin spoke. "So, out on another date?"

"We were not on a date!"

Karin smirked slyly, "Right"

"She's not my girlfriend"

"Sure, whatever you say Ichi-nii"

"Onii-san" Yuzu asked tenderly, "Why do you have a green dot on your face?"

Ichigo raised his hand to his cheek and and recalled a certain marker fight that morning. "That little.. argh! I'm going to kill you Kuchiki Rukia!"

* * *

Rukia banged on the door, alternating between her fist and her foot. A small head with cockroach like bangs peeked through the crack and ran back inside. A few minutes later the doors flew open and caused her to fall forwards. 

"Welcome Kuchiki-san! To what may I owe this wonderful encounter." Urahara sang out as Rukia stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"A faulty product." Urahara suddenly became nervous as the small shinigami seemed to tower over him in her anger.

"Ah, well, I suppose we could discuss a refund option.. But tell me, what _really_ brings you to my humble abode?"

"The vice-captain of the 6th division.. Abarai Renji, has come for me."

"Ah, I see." The shadow from his hat covered his eyes making it impossible for her to read his expression. "These kind of conversations are best discussed over some sake, I say. Shall we go in then?"

* * *

**A/N: **thanks to everyone who has been following this story and reviewed it! comments make me happy (even criticisms)! Next chapter will be out soonso please read and review (again)! 


	7. Living in Shadows

Chapter 7

_What the hell is taking her so long?_

Ichigo grumbled to himself, as he sat at his desk pretending to study while glancing frequently at his open window. He shook his head and tried to focus his attention back to his book when he noticed something enter his room.

"So this is where the brat lives." Renji drifted in through the wall and stepped down on the floor as he scanned Ichigo's room. " I really don't get what she sees in this place."

Startled, Ichigo nearly fell out of his chair, but he quickly regained his composure and began yelling. "You! Why are you here? What is with you shinigami and waltzing into other people's houses like you own the place!" Ichigo demanded irately.

Renji glanced at Ichigo, noticing him for the first time, and studied him up and down. With a smirk he drew his zanpaktou and pointed it towards Ichigo. "I believe we have a fight to finish."

* * *

Rukia walked into the shop where she was ushered into a private room with a small table. Seating herself on the floor across from Urahara, neither spoke while Tessai came in with a bottles of sake and two small cups. When he left Rukia suddenly felt very awkward. 

"How have you been doing, Kuchiki-san?" Urahara asked politely while filling her cup.

"As well as I could be, considering that a greedy salesman sold me a product that will kill me," she answered coolly, downing the liquid in one sip

"Ah," Having no good way to respond to that, Urahara cleared his throat and poured her another cup. "So.. tell me, how is Abarai-kun faring?"

Rukia turned her face away and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really care."

Urahara cocked his head to the side questioningly. "If I remember correctly the two of you were very close. You both came from the Rukongai and entered the Academy together, did you not?"

"Things are not the same as they used to be. He's a vice-captain now."

"So I have been informed, though I hardly see how that's at all relevant. So why did he come to pay you a visit?" Urahara asked happily.

Rukia looked up across the table and regarded him guardedly, "You ask questions to which you already know the answer. He came to bring me back to Soul Society."

"Ah, I see. But the real question here lies in whether or not you want to go."

"I- of course, I must go back."

Urahara opened his fan up and completely blocked Rukia from being able to see his face. "I said the question is whether you want to, not _must _you," he stated, almost teasingly. "If you were intent on leaving, then why are you still here? Shouldn't you have left with Abarai-kun already?"

"I had.. things.. to take care of."

"Such as..?"

"Such as figuring out how a vice captain seems to know the plight and location of a gigai that would be otherwise untraceable." Rukia watched him over the rim as she drank another cup of sake.

Urahara, suddenly realizing his perilous position, raised both hands innocently in the air, "Abarai-kun came and asked about you, and I merely told him all that I knew. I meant to tell you directly but he so graciously offered to tell you himself, I could hardly refuse."

"He.. he asked you about me? What did you tell him?" she asked, trying hard to sound nonchalant about it.

"For someone who claimed they didn't care, you seem awfully curious now." He was _taunting_ her, Rukia realized as she gripped her cup tightly and considered throwing it at him. Urahara didn't even flinch under her death glare, but he was smart man and he knew when to change the subject. "Ah, well we shouldn't worry our pretty heads over that matter, should we?" he said flippantly as he poured more sake into their cups.

They both drank in an uncomfortable silence that was finally broken when Urahara leaned forward across the table. "So tell me, Kuchiki-san, have you told Abarai-kun yet?"

"Tell him what?" Rukia raised a brow questioningly as she took another long sip of sake.

"Have you told him that you love Kurosaki-kun?"

* * *

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, I came here to finish our last fight" Renji sneered, swinging his sword as he spoke.

"Hey! Stop waving that thing in my face!" Ichigo backed away from the tip that was dangerously close to his nose. "I'm still in my human form and I don't even have a weapon! That's cheating!"

"Fool! It's called being prepared! Always be prepared! Why, are you scared?"

"I'm not scared of you!"

"That's why your hair is that color, because you're a big chicken! Bawk bawk!" Renji taunted him by flapping his arms.

Ichigo's hand curled into a fist and his lip curled into a smirk. "Idiot! And what about you? Hiding behind your big bad sword? Trying to compensate for something, eh?" He held up his hand and beckoned him to come forward, "Fight like a real man."

Renji threw down his sword and crossed the room in a flash, holding up Ichigo by his shirt collar. Ichigo in turn grabbed on to Renji's robe and held his fist in front of his face threateningly. They stayed in that position, neither one wanting to be the first to back down. Ichigo could hear Don Kanonji's laugh booming on the television and his family chattering downstairs. Finally, their eyes met and they both let go of each other at the same time, but they didn't let their guard down. In the confines of Ichigo's small room they circled around each other and sized up their opponent.

"If we're going to do this, we have to stay in here and keep quiet. My family is downstairs." Renji nodded but when Ichigo lunged towards him he leapt back and raised up his hands.

"Wait, wait. Don't hit the face. If Rukia sees it, she might kill both of us." Ichigo had to agree that Renji had good reasoning so he gave a curt nod and prepared to attack once again. But when he moved forward, Renji moved to the side and out of the way again.

"Wait.."

"What now!" Ichigo shouted, annoyed with the constant delay.

"It's just, I got a new tattoo on my right arm. So no hitting there either."

Ichigo tilted his head and thought for a moment. Not hitting the right arm was a good idea considering that he had to use it for everything from writing and eating to killing hollows. "Okay. Face and right arm are off limits."

"Well actually.." Renji began before he was interrupted by a kick on his butt.

"You talk to much!" Ichigo growled, doubling over a few moments later as Renji returned with a low punch to his stomach.

The scuffle ensued, neither one gaining the upper hand. Blows were thrown, received, and blocked until both were exhausted and gasping for breath. Half an hour later Renji and Ichigo lay on their backs an arms length away from each other on the floor.

"Come.. a little closer.. I'll kill you.." Renji managed to say between gasps for air.

Every part of his body felt sore, but Ichigo turned his head to sneer at his opponent. "Why, are you afraid of coming towards me now?"

"I can still whip your ass, rookie."

"Yeah, right.. come and get it" Ichigo replied. They continued to taunt each other but neither one attempted to sit up, when Ichigo noticed how silent the house was. Not even the sound of the TV..

Suddenly his door was thrown open and two small heads poked in. Ignoring his aching stomach he struggled to an upright position and faced the door. "I told you guys to knock!"

"But onii-chan, we just wanted to know if you wanted anything to drink and then we heard voices so we wanted to see if onee-chan was here." Yuzu pouted and looked around curiously, "But no one is in here. Who were you talking to?"

"Yeah, oh that, uh.. I was just practicing reading out loud." Ichigo stammered. Grabbing the nearest book, Ichigo opened it and began reading the first line he saw. "Stay here tonight, I promise I'll be gentle.." his voice trailed off as he realized that the next scenes were very inappropriate. There was a period of uncomfortable silence; Ichigo embarassed to be caught with Rukia's romantic manga, and his sisters shocked at the fact that he read them.

"All right then," Karin said flatly, "let's go downstairs and leave them alone." Her comment startled Renji into sitting up and watching her carefully. But when her eyes swept across the room her gaze seemed to go right through him.

"The brat spoke like she could actually see me," he growled as the girls filed out of the room. Karin paused abruptly and sent him such a cold stare over her shoulder that it made Renji feel as if his blood had turned to ice. He hadn't felt this way since the time when he had made the mistake of teasing Hinamori in front of Hitsugaya. He hadn't able to feel his hands for a week.

"Man, who reads this kind of junk?" As soon as Karin closed the door behind her, Ichigo narrowed his eyes down at the manga and threw against the closet before he turned back to Renji. "Hey, why are you still here? Go home."

"Is that any way to treat a guest?"

"What? How are you my guest? You barged in here on your own!"

Renji got to his feet and flopped onto Ichigo's bed. "But I'm still in your room, aren't I? Hey, get me a drink, will ya?"

"I'm going to go get _myself_ a drink. You better be gone when I get back." Muttering something about 'shinigami freeloaders' under his breath he left his room. When he returned he found Renji still stretched out on bed, like he suspected he would be, and he hurled the juice box at his head. Renji just opened one eye and caught the box in midair.

"What's this?"

"Juice."

"I know that, stupid," Renji lied. "But by drink, I meant sake, or at least tea. Who the hell drinks juice after a fight?"

"Sake? Do you even know how old I am? I'm still underage!"

"You think I care?" Renji just shook his head and stared down the juice box. Shaking and squeezing it seemed to do nothing. He kept glancing back and forth between his and Ichigo, who had finished off his one gulp. After a battle of his pride against his thirst, Renji thrust his box in front of Ichigo's face and looked away. "Hey, how do you work this thing?"

"You're such a dumbass, you don't even know how to use a straw?" Ichigo rolled his eyes as he grabbed and stuck the straw in. Renji snatched it back and inspected it cautiously before he drank from it. "Jeez, you're just like Rukia."

At the mention of her name the tension in the room thickened and the two guys remembered why they started fighting in the first place. Renji leapt to his feet and in a blink of an eye he had Ichigo pinned against the wall. "Don't throw around her name so carelessly. How well do you think you know her to be calling her by that? It should be Kuchiki-sama to a lowly human like you."

Ichigo shoved him away and grabbed Renji's shoulder, reversing their positions. "And what about you? Why are you here? You've done nothing but upset her since you came!"

"Fool! Do you really think that she is happy here? She can't even leave because she feels obligated to you!"

"What? Leave?" The news hit him harder than than any physical blow Renji could have thrown. _Has Rukia wanted to leave this entire time? _Ichigo was taken aback by the news and stared at Renji incredously. "Where is she going?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"The North Pole," Renji replied sarcastically, bonking Ichigo on the head. "Where do you think? Soul Society, you shithead."

Ichigo pushed Renji away from him and stared at his closet in a daze. "I- Why can't she just stay?"

"She probably would, if you asked her to." He answered bitterly, and knowing Rukia's personality, Renji knew he couldn't make her do otherwise. "That's why you can't ask."

"And why shouldn't I? She has people who care about her here!" _I care about her,_ Ichigo realized, with a lump in his throat. The wrinkle in his brow deepened as he thought about it. He knew he was sounding immature and selfish, but he didn't really care.

"Do you think nobody cares about her in Soul Society?" Ichigo's eyes raised and met Renji's and was surprised to see that they mirrored his own. He had never even considered that there were others waiting for Rukia, that she had other friends and family that expected her to return. _Does she want to see them too?_ Ichigo remembered the look in her eyes when she talked about Renji and the Chappy doll earlier that day, and he knew that she did.

"If she stays here, she will live and die as a human. Your short pitiful lives are nothing to us shinigami. Do you really want to put her through that?" Renji demanded, never taking his eyes off Ichigo's. "Can you live happily knowing that you are the one responsible for her death?" With a parting shove, Renji walked over to the window and prepared to jump out.

Ichigo didn't answer and just stared wordlessly at the floor. After a second thought, Renji turned back around and marched back to the closet. "I'll take this," he announced to no one in particular, picking the discarded manga up and sticking it in his robes before exiting once more.

Unknowingly, Renji's words stabbed Ichigo right were it hurt, and he felt a wrenching in his gut as he thought about his own mother. The first image that popped into Ichigo's head was his mother smiling brightly as she hugged her family. He could see his father, Karin, Yuzu, all beaming up at her, as if her radiant smile had lit up the entire room. Now, nobody was able to smile like they had once used to. He couldn't even remember the last time they had all laughed together. _I was the one responsible for that, for their unhappiness. _Clenching his fist, Ichigo made his decision. He wouldn't repeat the past mistakes, he would not hurt the people he cared about again.

_

* * *

Have you told him that you love Kurosaki-kun? _

In surprise, Rukia choked on the sake in her mouth and the liquid sprayed out of her mouth, all over the store owner in front of her. Glad that he was wearing a hat as a cover, Urahara took it off and waved it to dry while Rukia recovered. When she finally got over her intial shock, he put the hat back on and waited for the onslaught that was sure to come.

Sure enough, after Rukia wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, she slammed her fist onto the table and shouted over the table. "N-no! Why would I do something like that?"

"Oh? I thought Kurosaki-kun was a friend of yours."

"Don't play games with me, Urahara," she warned crossly.

"Ah," he took the time to pour more sake and leaned back before he spoke again, "then I beg to differ. Don't forget, I was there when that rash young fellow went after the Menos Grande. The look on your face was hard to ignore."

"I was just concerned about his safety. I needed him to continue my shinigami duties until I recovered," she replied stiffly. "Besides, whether I hate him or love him.."

For a moment, her words failed her and she turned her face away so that Urahara could not see her falter. Blaming it on the alcohol, Rukia took a deep steadying breath and continued what she was saying. "..it doesn't really matter. Love, friendship, all those things are just unnecessary emotions that are to be left behind when I return to Soul Society. I have no need for those kind of attachments."

"And how much longer are you going to use that as your excuse?" he demanded. His voice lost all playfulness that it held before and she felt as if his words cut straight into her soul. "Why do you continue lying to yourself?"

"Because I.." there was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she spoke, "I am a shinigami. And emotions make you weak."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," he mused, almost to himself as he took of his hat and placed it carefully on the table. Propping his elbows on the table, he leaned forward and stared directly into her eyes. "You came here because you wanted to know why I gave you this particular gigai, am I right?"

She nodded and Urahara glanced down at the table thoughtfully. "Did you ever hear _why_ I was exiled from Soul Society?"

"No," Rukia glanced up sharply at him, "I've heard rumors, but never anything I believed to be true."

"Ah, smart girl," Urahara kept his eyes fixed on the table, "always questioning what is really the right thing to do. If only.. if only I had been like you when I was younger, many many years ago."

It was a weird feeling for Rukia to see him so serious and talking retrospectively. She knew very little of his past, she realized as they both drank another cup. "When I was still just a young officer, and quite the charmer I might add, I was the shinigami responsible for this region, including the town of Karakura. Yes," he added as Rukia started slightly, "just as you are now. Except back then, it was not much of a town."

"I arrived at the location of the hollow, and I happened upon a certain miko," Urahara smiled to himself as he looked back, "and after I destroyed the hollow, she tried to purify me. I stayed under the pretext of protecting her from the hollows, and needless to say, we became quite good friends. The year after that, I would always find excuses to come back, and my visits more frequent and extended for weeks at a time. But I started to notice that she was getting older, while I.. I looked not even a day older from when we had first met."

Urahara paused and, giving up on the tiny cup, drank straight from the sake bottle. "The more I switched back and forth between Soul Society and the human world, the more I realized that I wasn't really living in either. It was then that I was promoted to a seat in my division and they expected me to stay in Soul Society, while someone else was assigned to this town."

"So what did you do?" Rukia stared at him wide-eyed, listening carefully to every word.

"I did what I was expected to do, I went back to Soul Society. I threw myself into work and advanced to become Captain, always making the excuse that I was too busy to go back. I finally did go, not knowing that it would be the last time." He sighed and shook his head to himself, "She was an old woman by then, could barely even walk anymore. And she couldn't recognize, she didn't even remember me."

There was a long break as he took a swig from the bottle, lost in his thoughts. "After that, I was constantly living my life in a shadow. The rest of my years at Soul Society felt meaningless, my title became worthless to me. And then I knew, there had to be something that would be worth living for. So I threw myself into research to develop a gigai.. your gigai."

"Its humbling to know that even if you are not in this world, it keeps moving on. And eventually every memory, no matter how cherished, will fade and vanish." He gazed out the slightly open door at Jinta and Ururu playing with each other. "Don't make the same mistakes of this lowly shopkeeper, who has just now learned what it means to live."

He looked up for the first time since he had started speaking and met her eyes. His hat had always hidden his eyes from hers, but now she felt as if she were seeing the real Urahara Kisuke behind the cheerful façade. And she understood now, that in a sense he had given her a gift. He was offering to her the gift of choice, to choose the life she wanted to live.

Urahara lowered his eyes and bowed his head to her. "I truly apologize, Kuchiki-san, for giving it to you without your consent."

Rukia looked away and thought of the times that she had spent in Karakura waiting for her powers to return. The few months were memories that she treasured, and she was grateful that she would take them with her as she left. "Don't apologize," she said gently, "I gained much from being here. But.. I would like to know one thing. Why me? I'm such a weak shinigami. You should have given it to someone stronger, who really deserved it."

"When I first saw you and Abarai-kun come straight from the Rukongai, I knew you two were different. Both of you were nervous, as anyone else would be, but you never allowed yourself to show it. Although you may not see it yourself, you are strong in spirit Kuchiki-san, and others around you draw on that strength. That is all the reason I need."

She was silent for a moment, and when his eyes met hers and she nodded her head slightly. "Thank you."

Urahara broke out into a smile and plopped his hat back on his head. Holding up another bottle of sake his voice reverted back to its usual liveliness. "What a dull party this has become. Let's get it started, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! It was so hard to write! I tried really hard to keep everybody in character, but I don't think I succeeded (especially with Urahara's character) A big giant THANK YOU! to everybody who has reviewed, I'm glad ya'll enjoy the story! I promise the next chapter will come out sooner (and hopefully better). Please leave a comment or criticism, it will be greatly appreciated! 


	8. The Princess and the Tramp

Chapter 8

Ichigo walked home slowly, the weight on his back pressing against his sore sides. The night was silent and the streets were empty, reassuring him that no one would see them. They made quite a sight, the orange haired teenager with a petite shinigami, quite drunk, perched on his back. Singing a jaunty tune about Chappy the Bunny, she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was being carried and ended each verse with a kick into his injured ribs. Ichigo grimaced in pain and rolled his eyes, _If only I had closed the window…_

It had all started earlier that night. After Renji had left, Ichigo remained in the same position for hours, deep in thought. When he finally stirred out of his trance, he realized that Rukia was still not back. All of a sudden, a large round object flew in through the open window, whizzed past his face, and exploded across his closet door with a loud SPLAT! Ichigo watched in a mixture of fear and wonder as the paint scrawled out a message: "Please come to Urahara Shop immediately"

When he arrived at the sandal-hat guy's store, he was surprised when the doors flew open and he was greeted by the drunken store keeper. But what shocked him was walking in and finding a very drunk Rukia sitting on the floor _giggling._

"Ichigo-san, thank you for arriving at such a late hour. You will have to take Kuchiki-san back to your home by yourself, it would be best not to leave tenchou alone." Tessai said, pointing at Urahara who was now dancing by himself in the middle of the room.

"I refuse!" Ichigo exclaimed, crossing his arms in front of him, "Why do I have to take her back?"

"Ah! He is correct! Kuchiki-san can just stay in my room with me tonight!" the shopkeeper announced, right before he was pushed to the ground.

"DIE!" Ichigo scowled and pulled Rukia on to his back, stepping on Urahara on the way out, just for good measure.

And that was how Ichigo happened to get into the situation he was in now. As Rukia's song drew to an end, her head started to droop and her cheek came to rest next to his. Ichigo blushed to the roots of his orange hair and shifted her weight so that her head could rest more comfortably on his shoulder. The gentle movements stirred Rukia out of her sleep and she called out sleepily, "Renji.."

Ichigo froze at the sound of the other shinigami's name. _Why is she calling out to him? Is she dreaming of him?_ Trying to push the thoughts out of his head, Ichigo shook his head and kept on walking.

"Renji," she called out again, her voice growing steadily louder. "Renji?"

"I'm not Renji"

If he thought she would stop after that, he was sorely mistaken. "Renji! Why aren't you answering me?" she yelled out drunkenly, "Renji!"

"Yes! I'm Renji! Now shut up!" he hissed, giving in only because he was afraid she would wake up everyone that lived on his street.

"You should have just answered me earlier," she said matter-of-factly. She was silent for a few minutes and Ichigo thought she had fallen asleep when she unexpectedly spoke out softly again. "Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired."

"Then go to sleep, idiot."

Rukia settled down on him and pressed her cheek against his back, her voice growing more and more faint as she drifted off to sleep. "Renji.. Why is this so hard? I'm so tired.. but it still hurts. Why does it have to be so hard?"

She was mumbling now as sleep overcame her, "I'm such a weak shinigami.. I don't..deserve.." And with that she fell asleep, the night silent except for the sounds of her light snoring and Ichigo's steady footsteps.

"No, Rukia, you're the strongest person I know."

* * *

Rukia opened her eyes slowly and quickly shut them closed. Her head ached like no other, and the morning light didn't help at all. Groaning, she turned her face away from the light and buried it into the pillow. _Pillow? Bed? Where am I?_ Pushing the headache aside, Rukia suddenly sat up and took in her surroundings. 

"Yo, lazy ass, you finally woke up?" Ichigo walked in with a tray and set it down on his desk. Rukia looked down, only to find that she was tucked into Ichigo's bed. She quickly jumped out on to the floor, only to sway unsteadily from dizziness. "Stupid, go back to bed for awhile, my family's all out for today. That's what you get for drinking so much last night."

"Drinking?"Suddenly the events of the night before flooded her memories. Rukia vaguely remembered the conversation she had with Urahara, but after that everything was fuzzy. Mortified at her own actions that she couldn't account for, she wasn't able to look straight at Ichigo as he handed her a cup. Sniffing it carefully, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "What is this stuff?"

"It's a tea my dad had, it's supposed to be good for hangovers."

"I don't have a hangover," she replied defiantly, pushing the tea back.

He scowled at her and opened the window all the way so that the sunlight poured into the room. Rukia cringed and sat down on the bed. "Okay, I guess if you're _that_ worried about me, I'll drink it."

A vein popped out on his forehead as he struggled to restrain himself from dumping the contents on her head. Shoving the drink back roughly, he turned to leave the room. "Don't think I'm doing this because I care, I just don't want to have to deal with a half-drunk shinigami all day."

"Ichigo," when she said his name Ichigo paused, his hand hovering over the door handle. "You seem.. different. Did something happen last night?" Rukia asked carefully.

Ichigo's head tilted slightly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "Nah, I'm just tired" he lied and stepped out of the room, "I'm going to be busy today. I'll see you later."

* * *

Rukia had to admit, the tea worked wonders. By mid-day her headache was gone without a trace, but she soon realized she had nothing to do. She wondered briefly why Ichigo had seemed so tense in the morning, but she came to the conclusion that he probably just didn't sleep well. _Obviously, since I took his bed.. _Not wanting to be left in Ichigo's room alone, Rukia soon found herself wandering down the street towards Inoue's house. 

"Rukia-chan! What a surprise! Come in, come in!" Inoue clapped her hands together and ushered the her in. Inoue motioned Rukia to sit at the table and sat down next to her with a bright smile on her face. "Sorry, I couldn't make you the dessert that I promised. If I had known you were coming, I would have bought bean paste and gelatin!"

"Ah, it's okay, I shouldn't have stopped by so suddenly," Rukia said, making a mental note not to come over after Inoue went grocery shopping.

"No, no!" she protested, waving her arms in front of her wildly, "Come by whenever you want! That's what friends are for! Oh, Rukia-chan, I completely forgot to offer you a drink!" Humming cheerfully, Inoue hopped to her feet and started to make some tea.

As Inoue made the tea, Rukia looked and remembered the first time she had seen the apartment. "Inoue? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes?" Inoue came back to the table, setting the steaming cups down before them. "You can ask me anything!"

"After your brother died, why did you decide to stay in Karakura?"

Inoue's eyes gazed down at the cup in front of her as she answered. "To tell you the truth, at first, I didn't really want to. After onii-chan died, I stayed because I had nowhere else to go. I think it's also because this place held all my memories of onii-chan, and I didn't want to let them go. Those times were really hard.."

She fell silent for a moment and then looked up at Rukia with a bright smile on her face. "But then I met Tatsuki-chan! Tatsuki-chan always defended me, was always was there for me, and it was because of her that I made friends like Kurosaki-kun, Sado-kun, and even you. I'm very grateful to be able to have a friend like her."

While Inoue spoke Rukia couldn't help but think about her time growing up. If it hadn't been for Renji then, she probably would not have survived. Fragments of memory flooded her mind and she shook her head violently to be rid of the images.

Inoue's large chocolate eyes peered at her curiously, "Is something wrong, Rukia-chan?"

"Ah.." Rukia was caught unprepared and so she said the first thing that popped in her head, "Well, see.. I have this friend and she has a problem with her friend named Re- er.. Benji."

"Oh.. what is the problem? If you tell me, maybe I can help!" Inoue offered.

"She and.. Benji.. grew up together. They were really," Rukia paused, unsure how to describe their relationship, "good friends. Even though they fought a lot, they knew they could always depend on each other. But then one day, she was offered the choice to move into a wealthy house.."

Inoue listened wide-eyed, enthralled by the story. In her imagination she pictured herself as a princess being protected by a handsome prince, who looked suspiciously like Ichigo wearing green tights. "So what did the princess choose?"

Though she could have sworn that she never mentioned anything about a princess, Rukia continued. "Benji told her to go, so she left. She went away, surrounded by people but always lonely. Benji became stronger without her. I suppose.. she was just a burden that he was glad to get rid of. They never spoke again."

"No!" Inoue's sudden outburst startled Rukia, "It can't end like that!" She pouted and shook her head from side to side. "I think Benji-kun is training harder so that he can rescue the princess! He probably let her go because he thought she would be happier! The princess should go talk to Benji-kun, I bet she'll find that he's just as lonely and hurting inside, too. Everything willl be alright, you'll see!"

Rukia gave her a small smile, "Thank you, Inoue."

But Inoue didn't hear her, she was already lost in her fantasy world. She punched her fist in the air, fighting off the imaginary foes. "Go Prince Benji-kun! Fight!"

* * *

"_You will always be just a tramp, not even worthy to lick my sandals. You bark at the star, but you don't have the courage to jump and grab it. You will never defeat me."_

_The words left Renji in a cold sweat as he watched his captain approach with Senbonzakura in his hands. Just as he was about to attack, Byakuya transformed before his eyes into the girl he had seen earlier in Ichigo's house. Her cold eyes seemed to pierce through him and he suddenly felt exposed. Looking down, he realized he really was naked except for a pair of Chappy the Bunny boxers. When he lifted his head again, the brat was gone and in her place stood Rukia._

"_Rukia.." He called out her name, but she didn't respond and just walked towards him silently. "Wh-what are you doing?" He stammered as she kept on coming closer; she was so close he could almost smell her next to him. _

"_Take those off, give me Chappy," she whispered seductively in his ear as she slid her robe down to expose one shoulder, "Stay here tonight, I promise I'll be gentle.."_

"_Rukia! We shouldn't- Rukia!"_

"What?"

Renji awoke from his sleep only to find two familiar eyes staring straight back at him. "AAAAAUUGGHH!" He screamed noisily as he fell out of the tree onto the ground below. Rukia dismounted and landed gently on her feet, folding her arms and waited for him as he attempted to stand up.

"How many times do I have to tell you to not sleep in trees? Moron."

"What are you doing here?" Renji roared as he got over his initial confusion. His body ached all over from the fall, and he was uncomfortable around her after his dream.

"I was on the way back when I heard you snoring, idiot. The better question is why you were calling my name." Rukia raised an eyebrow and watched Renji suspiciously.

"Wh-what?" Renji stammered. Rukia was giving him the look that always made him feel like she could read his mind as he tried in vain to get rid of the images that filled it. "I knew you were here the whole time, dumbass! I was just telling you to go away!"

"Really?" For a moment, Renji was almost certain that he saw disappointment flicker across her face before she turned away. "You're right, I don't know why I even bothered to come. I'm leaving now."

In a flash Renji went behind her and grabbed her shoulder. "Where are you going?" As much as he tried to hold it back, jealously slowly took control over him and he could feel his anger start to rise. "Are you going back to that bastard's place?"

"What do you think?" Rukia answered him without even bothering to turn around. "And don't talk about Ichigo like that. The only bastard here is you."

Renji couldn't tell what annoyed him more; the fact that she was defending the kid or the fact that she was insulting him. Either way, he was finding it harder and harder to stay composed. "That's it. You're coming back with me right now, Rukia. That's an order."

Rukia spun around and her eyes flashed so dangerously that it took all his nerve not to let go. "An order?" she ripped her arm free of his grasp, "Who do you think you are? We're not in Soul Society right now, I can make my own decisions."

It was then that Renji realized what was so different about her now. _You've gotten stronger, Rukia. I see the difference now between our strengths._ But he couldn't bring himself to say the words aloud. Instead, he drew his arm away and gave her a sarcastic smirk. "Don't look so pissed, idiot, your face might freeze that way. You're gonna get wrinkles, and pretty soon you'll look like that old ugly man we used to steal water from. You remember him, right?"

Renji's attempt at humor didn't mollify her. She folded her arms again and glared at him coldly. "Don't bring the past up, it was a long time ago."

"Yeeeah, my bad, I forgot. You're part of the grand Kuchiki family now, of course you wouldn't want to remember those times. Who wants to be reminded of being a poor orphan when she's a wealthy noble Kuchi-"

"Don't.."

"Little Kuchiki-_sama_ got to graduate early. What a life!" Renji knew he was going too far, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to stop. "She didn't even have to take the entry exam to get into the 13th division. And I heard she became quuuite the favorite pet of a certain Kai-"

"STOP!" Rukia's scream pierced the air and shocked Renji. "Stop. You don't have the right."

He realized that he shouldn't have pushed so hard, and he wanted to tell her that he didn't mean a word he said. It was too late, he couldn't bring the words back. _She must hate me now, _he thought as he watched her, her whole body trembling with anger. _And why not? I deserve it._ But when she looked up, he was shocked to find her eyes filled with unspilled tears.

"You don't have the right to say his name. You don't have the right to bring up the past. You don't have the right to come here and take me back to that life." With every sentence she hit his chest with her fists. Unable to speak, Renji just stood there and took the hits. "Was I that much of a burden to you? Where were you when I needed you?"

Not knowing what else to do, Renji did what he had been wanting to do for the past 50 years. Reaching his arms out around her, he pulled her into his embrace. Rukia resisted as much as she could, but he just held on tighter. "I'm sorry," he whispered again and again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." _This time, I won't let you go._

* * *

Neither of them noticed that they were being watched from across the street. The spectator took a step towards them, but stopped himself. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Ichigo turned and walked away.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sorry this chapter took forever to write! But I'm back from summer vacation, so the last two chapters should come out soon. Yup, we're nearing the end! Thanks everybody for your reviews! They make me so happy! If anyone seems OOC, my apologies. Please read and leave a comment! 

Next chapter: Will Rukia and Renji reconcile? What is poor Ichigo going to do? Stay tuned!


	9. Interlude

Chapter 9

The park was empty except for a pair that stood in the park locked in an embrace. The fact that he finally had _Rukia_ in his arms was the only complete thought Renji could make. It took a full minute for him to realize that it was quiet.. a little too quiet. He was slowly loosening his grip when a fist suddenly shot up and hit him with an uppercut to the chin.

"What are you doing?" Rukia took a step back and struggled to regain her composure. Her heart was beating so rapidly that it was almost painful, but she blamed it on the fact that she hadn't been able to breathe for the past minute.

Annoyed that she had ruined his attempt at a cool sounding confession, Renji had to resist the temptation to kick her. "Baka! What do you think I was doing?"

When Rukia finally caught her breath, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Were you trying to smother me to death?"

"If I wanted to kill you, I should have finished the job!" A vein started to pop out on his forehead as he glared down at her small defiant form. He was so frustrated with her and the fact that she was so clueless, that he didn't know whether he wanted to kiss her or kill her.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he muttered, "You're short, stupid, mean-tempered, loud, and you annoy the hell out of me. But," Renji muttered something and turned away from her.

"What?"

Renji tried to mumble it and pass it off as a cough, but Rukia refused to give up.

"Just say it, you baboon-faced eyebrow-less freak!"

Renji whirled around and shouted in her face, "I said I missed you, damn it!" It took all his self control not to grab her and hold her in his arms again. He lowered his voice and looked straight into her eyes. "I've missed you since the first moment that you walked away from me. My life's been hell without you, Rukia."

Rukia froze as she processed what she had just heard. She thought about her conversation with Inoue earlier that night, and was surprised when she realized that Inoue was right. During her time at the Kuchiki house she had felt so alone, bitter that Renji had just thrown her away. It dawned on her now that it was Renji, not her, that had been left behind. And now somehow after all those years he had finally said the exact words that she had been wanting to hear, and the words that her pride would not allow her to say. Her eyes searched his, and when Renji's gaze held hers, she felt as if the wall that had been built between them over all those years was starting to crumble down.

"Thank you," she replied simply.

Whatever kind of reply Renji was expecting, he did not expect this. "Huh?" He stared at her blankly, confused by her reaction.

"Thank you," she repeated as she smiled up at him, "for missing me."

She still didn't get it, he realized. Even after all that, she couldn't see how he felt about her. She still only thought of him as a friend. _But for now_, he thought as he slowly returned her smile, _maybe for now that's all I need._

* * *

**A/N:** I doubt anybody still reads this story, but I hate leaving things unfinished. Sorry this chapter took so long in the making! Its been so long since I've written anything that it's not even that good. So please leave any comments/criticism, it'll be greatly appreciated!

What fate will Rukia choose? There are only 3 more chapters left, and they'll be coming out soon! Thanks for reading :)


	10. Sunset

Due to my long absence, a recap was requested. If you already know what's going on, skip ahead to Chapter 10. Happy reading! 

Recap:  
Renji has been sent from Soul Society to retrieve Rukia, who finds out that if she does not return she will become a human. He gives her one week before he takes her back. During this week, Ichigo realizes that he likes Rukia, but is unable to tell her due to interruptions in the form of a hollow, a pair of sisters, and a Quincy. After a visit from Renji, Ichigo decides that he can't let Rukia stay and die as a human. Rukia seeks guidance from Urahara and Inoue, which leads her to a confrontation with Renji.

* * *

Chapter 10

With their backs leaned against an old oak tree, Rukia listened as Renji brought her up to date with what was going on in Soul Society. When Rukia gazed up at the moonlit sky, she realized how late it was.

"Renji, I have to go now." Rukia announced as she got to her feet, wiping the grass off her dress.

"Don't go back," He said it this time not as an order, but as a request. "Come back to Soul Society with me now."

"I have to go," Rukia repeated, "I'm not ready to leave here yet. I have one more day, right?"

Renji was going to grab her hand and hold on to her, but when she turned her face to his and smiled, he felt his resolve disappear.

"After a day, I'll come back here and we'll leave together. I promise."

He just nodded dumbly and watched silently as Rukia walked away. Renji sighed and banged his head back against the tree. He always was a sucker for her smile.

* * *

Ichigo felt like he was going crazy. Every time he closed his eyes, images of Rukia being hugged by that guy flashed in his head. He tried to take his mind off of them, but nothing seemed to be working. He tried doing push-ups, cleaning his room, even studying. But just being in his room made him glance at the window every 5 seconds, wondering when Rukia would be back and then wondering what she was doing, then leading inevitably to the image he was originally trying to distract himself from. He finally ventured downstairs and even watched Don Kanonji with his family. When his dad's bizarre behavior became too intolerable, Ichigo went up and took a blistering hot shower. Determined this time to not stare at the window, he strode into his room wearing nothing but his towel around his waist, his eyes never looking up from the floor. He was just about to take the towel off to change when a voice spoke from the window.

"I know we've been living together for a long time, but I didn't know we were _this _close to each other."

Ichigo nearly leaped out of his skin when he heard Rukia's voice. Feeling very exposed, he crossed his arm over his bare chest and turned away from her quickly.

"What are you doing here? Get out!" Ichigo yelled.

"Why would I get out when this is my room too?" Rukia settled herself comfortably on his bed. She had to hide a smile when she saw his face turn bright red. She did a dramatic show of covering her eyes with her hands. "You can go ahead and change here, I promise not to look."

"You better not," he warned. When Ichigo was sure she couldn't see, he threw on his clothes as fast as possible.

Rukia deemed it safe to uncover her eyes. "It's not like I haven't seen everything already."

"W-Wh-What? When?" Ichigo stammered.

"Baka! who do you think healed you after all of those fights?" Rukia almost laughed aloud when she saw the mortified look on his face. In actuality, there had never been a need for her to take off all his clothes. But when the opportunity presented itself, well, she just took a _little_ peek. She was very impressed. "What are you so embarrassed about. It's not like there was much to look at."

Ichigo threw his towel in her direction. "Get out!"

Rukia laughed as the towel flew over her head. "I'm just kidding, I never saw anything," she lied, "but you are awfully touchy about it. I wonder why.."

Ichigo just scowled as he came over and pushed her off the bed. "You seem like you're in a good mood."

"Yeah" A long awkward silence followed her reply. Rukia suddenly felt very guilty. She and Renji had done nothing but talk, catching up on the latest Soul Society gossip, but for some reason she felt as if she did something wrong. "I met a friend today! Inoue!" she said quickly, "I was over at Inoue's house all night. And we talked, and she told me a story, and we lost track of time! That's why.. why I'm in a good mood-"

When she realized that she was just babbling, Rukia quickly stopped talking.

It bothered him alot that she was lying about it. But he didn't have much time left with her, he realized, and he was not going to waste it being angry. "I'm glad," he said finally, "that you're happy."

When he said that, Rukia's heart skipped a beat. The promise that she made Renji suddenly hit her and it made her feel strangely sad. She didn't know how she was going to tell Ichigo, but she knew that she needed to tell him the truth soon.

"Ichi-", "Ruki-" They both said at the same time. Rukia indicated for him to go first.

"Rukia," he began again, "Tomorrow let's skip school. There's somewhere I want to go with you. Just the two of us, like a date. Okay?"

His words caused her to completely forget everything she was going to say.  
In a slight daze, Rukia just nodded. _A date. Ichigo. Tomorrow-_

"Rukia?" Ichigo's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "What were you going to say before?"

"Huh? No..Nothing! Good night!" She turned quickly to get into the closet but hit her head on the closed door. Laughing nervously, she opened the closet and got in as fast as possible.

Ichigo stared at the closet door and shook his head. "Idiot," he said quietly, not sure if he meant it for her or for himself.

* * *

_the next morning_

Rukia waited at the top of the hill for Ichigo to arrive. She was wearing the purple dress that Ichigo had bought for her only a few days before. Has it only been two days since we went shopping? she wondered to herself. So much had happened in the last week, last month, last year. If someone had told her while she was living at the Kuchiki house that one year from then she would be living happily in a human's closet, she would have thought they were crazy. But here she was, watching as the rash and reckless teenager who had started it all came running towards her.

"Yo-" She didn't even have a chance to greet him as Ichigo came up the hill, grabbing her hand as he ran past her. Without even a chance to protest, she followed him half running and half dragged. They didn't stop running until they reached a bus station and Ichigo managed to pull her onto a bus, only seconds before the doors closed and the bus started off.

"What?" Was the only word that Rukia managed to say as she panted for air.

"I just found out this is the only morning bus to where we're going," Ichigo explained as he led her to a seat.

Rukia realized that her hand was still in his, but she reasoned that it was probably best to leave it there, just in case he planned on running off the bus as well. "Where are we going?"

Ichigo smirked. "You'll see."

An hour later the bus slowed to a stop. As they got off the bus, Ichigo had to use all his strength to slow Rukia down. She dragged him till their feet hit sand, and she gasped in awe. "What an enormous river!"

With his free hand, Ichigo bonked her on the head. "Its an ocean, stupid."

"Oooh! Ocean!" Rukia's eyes were open wide as she tried to take everything in. Water seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. She remembered learning about what the ocean was in Human World 101 at the Soul Society Academy. In class she only thought of it as the blue color on the globe. She didn't know it was sobig.

They walked slowly down the beach in a comfortable silence, broken only by the waves that lapped at their feet. Before Ichigo could stop her, Rukia cupped water into her hands and took a sip. She quickly spit it out.

"Baka!" Ichigo shouted, "What are you doing?"

Rukia made a face, "It's salty."

Ichigo stared at her blankly for a moment before his lip started twitching. Before long, he was laughing so hard that he let go of her hand and doubled over holding his stomach.

Annoyed that he was laughing at her expense, Rukia scooped up water and threw it in his open mouth before running away. It took a minute for him to recover, but when he finally spit all the water out, he ran after her yelling death threats.

Ichigo finally managed to catch up to her when she stopped in her tracks. "What? Is there something wrong?" He asked, worried that she might have sensed a hollow.

"It's that!" Rukia said, pointing at the ground, "Let's make one of those!"

He followed her gaze to a small sand castle. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "A sand castle? How old are you?"

Rukia gave him a dark look, "Do you really want to get into this again, rookie? Now do you want to help me, or do you want me to make you help me?"

Ichigo wisely took the first choice.

After working for awhile, Ichigo took a step back and stared at their work. "This isn't a castle," he pointed out.

Rukia shook her head and sent him a withering look. "Of course not, this is Soul Society. See? These are the four gates. And this is the inner court, these are the noble houses-" She went on to explain the rest of the complex layout. Ichigo pretended to listen, his mind preoccupied with other matters.

"Rukia" She lifted her head and looked at him inquistively, "Do you miss being there?"

His question surprised her. "I don't know," she admitted as she stood up slowly. She reflected upon his question as she dusted the sand from her hands. In the more recent years she had been pretty miserable. There were some times and some people that she missed, but even if she wanted to go back, they wouldn't be there. Kaien-dono, his beautiful wife, all the demons that haunted her every night in Soul Society had stopped. It all stopped when she met Ichigo.

Ichigo misinterpreted the pain that flashed across Rukia's eyes. "Never mind," he muttered, angry at himself for asking such a useless question. In an attempt to change the subject, Ichigo pulled Rukia back down to the ground. "Oi, Kuchiki! Let me show you how us Kurosaki's make our castles."

The next 2 hours were spent chatting and joking with each other while working on an enormous mound of sand "Kurosaki-style"

"You seem to be really good at this castle building. You bring alot of girls here?" Rukia asked with just a hint of jealousy.

"Nah," Ichigo paused, "We used to come out here alot. My family, before my mom was killed. This is my first time coming back since then."

"Our family would come out here on vacation, I would help Yuzu make sand castles, Karin and my dad would fight for my mom's attention, and she would just there and laugh at them. But then when the sun started to set, everyone would become quiet and we would just sit here, watching it together."

As he spoke about the past, Rukia found herself examining his face. It was rare for Ichigo to openly talk about his mother. He spoke about her this time with no anger and no bitterness. His usual scowl was gone. The wrinkles on his brow were smoothed out, but she could still see a faint trace of them.

"Uh, Rukia? What are you doing?"

His question snapped Rukia back to her senses. She realized in horror that her hand had moved unconsciously, and was now tracing the lines on Ichigo's forehead.

"I'm, um, I'm trying to remember the shape of your face." She answered lamely.

Ichigo gave her a weird glance, "Oh, I thought that maybe I had sand on me."

"Ye-es," Rukia said slowly, "that would have made more sense."

"But I guess if this is the case, then," Ichigo reached for Rukia's fingers and brought them up to his forehead again.

"Wha-"

"I'm giving you this one chance to remember my face. So no matter what, don't forget it."

Rukia felt a sharp pain in her chest as it suddenly hit her that she was going to be leaving him. His hand guided hers as her fingers lightly grazed over his eyes, his nose, his lips. Her fingers were trembling by the time they reached his chin, and she was glad when he held her hand firmly in his again.

Together they sat and watched as the sun began to set over the ocean. The sight was so beautiful that Rukia found herself at a loss for words. Sitting next to him with her hand in his felt so comfortable, so _right._

"We better hurry so we don't miss that bus. Come on, Rukia," Ichigo turned to her, the last rays of the setting sun shining on his face. "Let's go home."

And finally Rukia realized the truth that she had being trying so hard to deny: she was in love with Ichigo.

* * *

After they got off the bus, they walked slowly back to Ichigo's house hand-in-hand. They barely spoke to each other, their minds consumed with the things that they still needed to say.

"Ichigo," Rukia stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. She looked down at the ground, unable to look him in the eye. "There's something I need to tell you."

This was the moment that he had been bracing himself for the entire day. He knew what she was about to tell him, but he didn't want to hear it, not from her.

"You need to go back to Soul Society." He said for her.

Rukia's head jerked up in surprise.

"I know, you can't keep freeloading off me forever. And me, I can't keep on chasing hollows all day. It's time we both went back to our lives."

"But I, I want to stay.." _with you. _It was the closest to a confession that her pride would allow. She prayed that he would give a reason, any reason, to stay.

He could see the indecision in her eyes. He wanted to tell her that he loved her and that he wanted her to stay, too. But because he loved her, he knew that he had to let her go.

"You can't keep on pretending you're a human. Go back to your world." He didn't want to hurt her, but there was no other way. "You know it better than I do, you don't belong here."

_I don't belong here. Renji was right, I've forgotton who I am._ She could feel tears stinging in her eyes but she held her chin up high. "You're right. I am a Shinigami." She turned away from him so that he couldn't see her face. "Thank you, for reminding me."

She let her hand slip from his. "Goodbye"

He waited until she was long out of sight. In a rage he punched his fist into the wall, and watched as the blood dripped from his knuckles down his arm.

_I can't be responsible for someone dying because of me again. _

_I'm sorry, Rukia._

* * *

A/N: Okay, I know this chapter is full of OOC-ness, but please bear with me. If you're a ichi/ruk fan, don't hate me and please keep reading! And if you're a renji fan, don't worry, he'll be in the next chapter! Writing is not my forte, so all criticism/advice will be put to good use.

Next Chapter: True feelings will be revealed..? Ichigo learns a lesson..? Takoyaki?


	11. One Heart

Chapter 11

Rukia didn't know where she was going. Her feet just led her, further and further away from Ichigo, but his words kept on replaying in her head.

_You don't belong here._

Her feet stopped moving, and she felt a single tear roll down her cheek. "Fool!" She scolded herself as she wiped it away. She squeezed her eyes shut, but they escaped in a steady stream. She didn't notice the spritual pressure that followed her, nor the footsteps that approached.

"Stupid, if you're going to do that, then do it right." Renji came up and embraced her from behind. "I'm right here by your side, so cry as much as you want." She didn't know it was because of his words or if it was because she was just too tired to hold it in any longer; but as he held her, Rukia cried.

It was a side of Rukia that Renji had never seen before. When she left him for the Kuchiki house and even when her vice-captain died, Rukia had tried her hardest to seem cool and poised. But now, because of this human, her spirit seemed broken. Not knowing how to comfort her, he just rocked her gently back and forth as he waited for the tears to subside. "If he's the kind of bastard that can make you cry like this, then leave him. Leave him, and come to me."

"..What?" There was something in his tone that made Rukia's back stiffen. She was suddenly aware now of the arms that wrapped around her small frame, and she knew that Renji was serious.

"That ugly kid with the funky hair.. you like him, don't you?" She didn't have to say anything for Renji to know that he was right. The silence answered it for him. "I've known it since I got here. In your eyes, you only see him.

The reason that I know this is because in my eyes, I can only see you. It's always been you, Rukia." Renji rested his head on her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. "So if he's the one that makes you cry, can't you let me be the one to make you smile?"

_Renji, he-_ Rukia felt stifled as her mind struggled to comprehend what he was saying. Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed his arms away, "Renji, right now I, I can't-"

"No, don't answer me now." He understood that she needed more time, so he stepped away. "I'm leaving at dawn. I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Although his face held his usual scowl, inside Ichigo was a man possessed. Alternating images of the pain in Rukia's eyes, his mother's smiling face, Rukia bleeding after saving him from a hollow, his mother's dead body, and his hands covered with their blood flashed through his mind. Sorrow and rage churned in his stomach, growing with every step that took him closer to home and away from Rukia. 

When he entered the house, his family was gathered at the kitchen table. His father stood with a ridiculously oversize chef hat on and an apron that blazed "Kiss the Cook" on it.

"Ichigoooo" His father literally threw himself at his son, "You're just in time for the Super Special Delicious Kurosaki Takoyaki!"

He produced a plate out of nowhere, heaped with takoyaki. "Try some!"

"I don't want any." He tried to push his dad aside, but Isshin jumped back into his way.

"Just try it! It's good, right girls?"

Karin shrugged as she popped another one in her mouth. "That old man may be crazy, but he sure knows how to make these."

"That's because Daddy perfected the recipe so that your Mother would fall in love with him. Mother-" he wailed overdramatically at her giant poster, "did I raise our children wrong, that they won't even eat the takoyaki you loved so much?"

Isshin stopped abruptly and went back to Ichigo, shoving the plate in his face. "Try one!"

"I said I don't want it!" Ichigo snapped and tried to bat his father out of the way but accidentally hit the plate. The plate landed with a crash and takoyaki rolled across the floor. They all stared sadly at the wasted food, and for some reason, that just made Ichigo angrier. "I don't care if Mom loved it! I never asked for your stupid takoyaki! I never asked her to die for me!"

"So why," the words just came crashing out of his mouth and he was unable to control it, "why did she have to go and do something so stupid?"

A grim silence fell across the house. "Yuzu, Karin, go upstairs." There was steel in their father's voice that they had never heard before, and they obeyed without hesitation. Once they were out of sight, he turned to Ichigo. "You. Come outside."

Ichigo's foot barely touched the pavement before Isshin's fist came towards his face. He backed away in time to just get grazed by the blow, but it was enough to send him reeling.

"If you want to fight, then you fight me." Isshin rolled up his sleeves and put his fists up.

"I'm not going to fight you." But when the fist swung at him again Ichigo blocked it and countered with a kick that Isshin dodged easily. Ichigo spun around and tried to punch him, but Isshin ducked and gave him an uppercut to the jaw.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted. With a speed that Ichigo never witnessed before, he landed a jab on Ichigo's side. He tried to return it with a swift sidekick, but his dad was behind him before he could even blink. "You can't even lay a scratch on me at your speed."

Ichigo swung his fists wildly now, but Isshin calmly brushed him aside and caught him with a well aimed blow to the solar plexus. He then gave him a final kick in the stomach that brought Ichigo to his knees. Ichigo drew in ragged breaths as he tried to get back up, but his legs buckled beneath him and he sank to the ground again. His dad came and squatted in front of him.

"I'm fine with you hating me, mocking me, or cursing me till you die. But you will never ever speak that way about your mother again." For the first time in his life, Ichigo was aware of an immense power that seemed to emanate from his father. "If you even think for a second that Masaki wasted her life on you, then you don't deserve to be called her son."

"You're right about one thing, though," Isshin stood up and the menacing pressure that Ichigo had felt disappeared. "You never asked for your mother to die for you. She made that choice herself. She made the choice to be a woman who lived to love her children, and that meant teaching you, protecting you, even dying for you. But if you get angry like this, then you take away from that."

Isshin made eye contact with Ichigo and smirked. "So don't be angry and trust your mother! She's smarter then the two of us combined. She was the one that named you so that your name would mean 'to protect one thing.' So when you find that one thing that's worth dying for, Ichigo, live for it!"

Ichigo just stared at him for a long time, wondering who this man that stood before him. As if realizing that he was totally out of character, Isshin tilted his head back and laughed heartily. "Go away! I'm wasting all my coolness on you. Yuzu! Karin! Come see how cool your daddy can be!"

_Aaand he's back,_ he thought as his dad proceeded to do what can only be described as dramatic modeling poses. Ignoring him, Ichigo got to his feet with a new light of determination in his eyes. He knew now what he needed to do. But before he set off, he turned and faced his father. "Dad," Isshin stopped mid-pose and stared at Ichigo who bowed his head low. "I'm sorry."

"You should be sorry," Isshin muttered as he headed back into the house, "that was some damn good takoyaki."

* * *

Rukia sat in a tree at a place where she knew nobody would look to find her. The tree stood above the grave of Ichigo's mother. This place was important to her because it was here that she truly saw who Kurosaki Ichigo was. It was here that when she held his bleeding and broken body in her arms, she no longer saw Kaien-dono's face in his. 

_And now.._ she sat and wondered how it had come to this. How she, Kuchiki Rukia, was a mess because she was in love with a human that she couldn't have, and had a shinigami who loved her that she couldn't ignore.

_Ichigo-_ Over the past few months she had come to know him as more than just a orange-haired kid with a short temper and a constantly angry face. He had become someone that she knew she could depend on and who, despite his cold outward appearance, cared deeply about the people around him and would protect them at all costs. Memories flooded her mind and she remembered the first moment that she had introduced herself into his life, not just as a shinigami but as Kuchiki Rukia. She thought of all the time they had spent together, all the times she had worried about him only to be greeted by that smug look he always wore, the way he remembered little details, and how he could be so unexpectedly thoughtful; and she realized that she had fallen in love with him long before today.

_But then there's Renji,_ Only 24 hours beforehand she had been delighted to find out that he had missed her, and she was happy to think they were still friends. She missed him, too, more than she would allow herself to admit. They had gone through so much together. They had survived the Rukongai, stood side by side in front of the gates of the Seireitei, and had become Shinigami so that they could both become stronger. Renji provided what Ichigo could not; he gave her a past, a sense of security, and tonight he had given her a shoulder to cry on.

_How am I supposed to choose?.._ But her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of footsteps coming up the path. Drawing herself into the shadows of the tree, she was surprised when she saw who it was.

"Masaki, its me." Kurosaki Isshin came and bowed his head in front of the grave stone. "I came to apologize for fighting with your son."

_He fought with Ichigo?_ Curious, Rukia leaned forward to eavesdrop.

"I may not be the best father, but I can tell that something's been bothering him. If you were here you'd know exactly what to say to him. Me, I just let that boy make his mistakes and then try to beat some sense into him. But I know it makes you sad, so I came here to say I'm sorry."

Isshin fell quiet for a moment and then smiled to himself. "Do you remember that dream you told me about, right after you gave birth to our girls? You said in your dream we were both old and we're stting in our living room. We sit and we eat takoyaki, and we watched as our kids play with our grandchildren. You told me about your dream, and you smiled, and then you told me, 'That is the one thing I want to live for.'" He paused and bent down in front of the grave. "Even though you can't be here with me, I will do everything I can to make your dream come true."

"Oh no, it's raining." Isshin stood and casually wiped the drop of water off his face with his sleeve. "I better go now."

Rukia glanced up at the clear night sky. _It's not raining-_ But when she looked back down at his face, she understood. He bent down to the grave stone one last time and whispered something that Rukia could not hear.

Isshin whistled as he walked away. A cool night breeze passed between them, taking with it the sound of his whistling and the words he had spoken at the grave.

* * *

A/N: Hmm.. somehow Isshin ended up being the main character. I don't know about y'all but i really like him (obviously) because he knows alot more than what he lets on. I hope no one thinks that Ichigo is being physically abused by his father, I think the abuse is kinda mutual. This chapter turned out alot cheesier than I thought, but alas, once again it could not be helped. 

People have been asking about my other fic 'Butterfly Kisses'.. I know I haven't updated that in years, but I will be continuing it after I finish with this one.

The story is almost over! Please read and review! Thanks!


	12. Interim

**Note:** I'm back! I hope there is at least just one person who will continue to read this story. This is just a tiny chapter to get back in the kick of things. Expect the next chapter soon (in a few days - I promise!)

* * *

Chapter 12

"Hmm, well this is an interesting turn in events," Urahara mused aloud, "Our young friend seems to change his mind rather quickly. Too quickly."

He frowned.

"Hurry along now We're almost there" He called out in a singsong voice.

"This better be something good," Jinta grumbled. Earlier that night the store owner had received a phone call. As soon as he had hung up the phone, he rushed out of the store and made them follow. They had been running for a good ten minutes, with Urahara pausing every now and then and changing direction. Jinta didn't sense any Hollow's nearby, and he was starting to suspect there was no clear destination in mind. The pace slowed as they approached a street corner, and they recognized at once the spiritual force heading their way.

"The yellow-head guy? Why does it seem like where ALWAYS following him?"

"Because you can never predict what he's going to do." Urahara's lips curved into an amused smile. "Well, in this case we do know what he's going to do but if he does what he wants to do then she can't do what she must do, and we can't have that, now can we?" Too confused to care, Jinta just rolled his eyes as Urahara pulled out his fan and waved them forward. "So onward, onward! We must delay hi-"

"Mmmph" Was the muffled sound made by Ichigo when he turned at a street corner only to run straight into Tessai. He only had a second to look up before Tessai's hand chop came down on his neck and knocked him out cold. It was a long time before Urahara stopped dancing with his fan and realized that no one was watching him. "I said delay him! Not kill him!"

But Ururu and Jinta continued to kick the inert form a little longer until Urahara pushed them aside and knelt next to it. All silliness was put aside as he spoke quietly to Ichigo. "I hope you understand, Kurosaki-san. No matter what you or I want, the decision must be hers and no one else's. We must give her some time to make that choice.. alone."

He remained thoughtful awhile longer before rising slowly. "All right, our work here is done," he announced gaily as he headed back to the store, "Good work Team Urahara Shop!"

Jinta gave Ichigo one last kick for good measure and sighed as he followed, "Tenchou sure is weird sometimes." Ururu just nodded her head solemnly. Unsatisfied with the night's events, he yanked hard on both her pigtails. Tears automatically filled her eyes and she ran off wailing, "Tessaaiiiii!"

It was a comical sight to see Tessai chasing Jinta chasing Ururu who was still crying even as she ran. And Urahara laughed, all the way back home.


	13. Inoue

Chapter 13

_Rukia creeps silently into Ichigo's room in the early hours of the morning. When she scans the room and makes sure that no one is in it, she breathes a deep sigh of relief. She knows what she has to do, and she knows she has to do it alone. Carefully and quietly she takes out a bag and starts packing the things she came for. The last item left is the Chappy the bunny doll. She hugs it to her chest and memories flood her mind, but she pushes them aside and places it in the bag before she zips it close. She lingers in the window frame as she takes one more glance at the room. And she's gone._

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me, Orihime." Tatsuki turned to her friend and gave her an affectionate pat on the head. "Sorry for making you come out so early. My mom insists that the best fish is sold as soon as the markets open. I swear, that woman must have been a slavedriver in her past life." 

"It's okay Tatsuki-chaaa" Inoue broke off in a yawn and then gave her a big smile. "I wanted to get some fish anyway. I have a new idea for a recipe with fish, jelly, and- Ichigo?"

Tatsuki gave her a perplexed look. "Fish jelly with fruit? That's kinda strange Orihime, even for you." But when Inoue didn't reply, Tatsuki followed her line of sight and found that she wasn't talking about a strawberry.

_You're right.. Why is he.. What is that on his.. Do you think he's hurt.._

Ichigo awoke to the sound of voices murmuring around him. He had a throbbing pain on the back of his head and his entire body ached. Curious as to why the voices didn't sound like his sisters, Ichigo slowly peeked open his eyes. "Inoue? Tatsuki? What are you guys doing here?"

Tatsuki gave him a weird look. "I think the better question is what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I'm- " Ichigo sat up on the curb and glanced around, realizing for the first time that he was not in his room. As he tried to think why he was out on the street, he was hit with an onslaught of images from the day before. The ocean. A sunset. Rukia's eyes. Rukia's smile. Rukia's back as she walked away.

"Rukia"

Distracted by the face that flooded his mind, Ichigo didn't even notice that he had spoken her name. Nor did he notice the looks Inoue and Tatsuki exchanged as he got to his feet. "Did something happen with Rukia?" Tatsuki asked when he didn't give an explanation.

"I have to find her," he announced, but his feet were reluctant to move. Doubt had started to form in his head, and it gnawed away at his resolve. _You're too late, she already left. There's nothing you can do. _"I need to tell her not to go," he said aloud, but his voice lacked conviction. Rukia was gone, he realized, and he suddenly felt very, very tired.

"Do you really think that's the right thing to do?" Inoue asked it quietly but the words pierced through all his thoughts, and Ichigo stared at her in surprise. Her gaze was penetrating as she stared straight back at him. Inoue's voice was cold and it grew in volume as she spoke. "Her friends, her family, aren't they all there waiting for her? Doesn't she have people who she cares about over there? Isn't the place she really belongs there, with them? Don't you think its best to let her go back to her life, and for you to finally get back to yours?"

It was like being doused with a bucket of cold water. Her words pushed aside all doubts and revealed to him just how cowardly he had been acting. Ichigo turned his head away when he answered, "You may be right, Inoue. Making her stay here may not be the 'right' thing to do. She does have friends and family waiting there. And I know she has someone she cares about there."

He turned back to face her with his fist clenched, his eyebrows wrinkled, and his jaw set in a determined scowl. "But I also know that if she's there, there will be someone who waits for her here. She has someone who cares about her, who depends on her, who needs her." He jerked his thumb towards himself. "I belong with her. So if she can't come to me, then I'll just have to go to her. Because I, Kurosaki Ichigo, don't want to go back to a life if she's not going to be in it."

For a moment there was an expression that flashed over Inoue's face, but when Ichigo blinked it was already gone. Inoue's eyes softened and when she smiled it felt as if a spell had broken. "You almost had me scared for a second. But this, this is the Kurosaki-kun that I know. You better hurry though, you don't have much time before she leaves."

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"It's written on your face: 'Leaving park at sunrise'. You might want to check out your eyebrows while you're at it." Tatsuki pointed out matter-of-factly as Ichigo ran to the nearest parked car and looked at his reflection in the window. Sure enough, a message was scrawled out on his cheek in red marker and his eyebrows had been colored in red.

"I'm going to kill her. I'm gonna catch her, and then I'm gonna kill her." Ichigo muttered as he rubbed the message off with his sleeve. "And then I'm gonna take those markers and make her eat them one-by-"

Tatsuki slapped the back of his head. "What's wrong with you! Hurry up and go!" Ichigo glanced at the horizon and saw that the first rays of morning had started to appear.

Inoue waved her arms wildly as the panicked Ichigo took off running. "Go Kurosaki-kun! Go get Kuchiki-chan! We'll be cheering for you!"

"Thanks, Orihime!" was the only thing Ichigo had time to say before he ran off as fast as his feet could take him.

When he was out of sight, Tatsuki and Inoue remained where he left them.

"I did the right thing, right? Telling him to go?"

Tatsuki reached for her friend's hand and held it tightly in her own. "Yeah. You're a good person, Orihime. You did the right thing."

"Then why does it hurt so much?" Even though she was still smiling, tears flowed freely down her face. And because there was nothing else she could say, Tatsuki just stood by her side and let her cry.

* * *

Renji stood alone in the park, waiting. He started to think about his decision and his actions the night before. He didn't feel her reiatsu until he heard her footfall approach. And when he saw her, he knew. He had spent the whole week wondering what it was that made her seem so different from before. But as she walked towards him, he saw the confidence in her steps, he saw the shoulders that no longer slouched, and he saw the hope that sparkled in her eyes. She didn't need him to protect her anymore. 

"Renji?"

"What?"

"Renji," Rukia called out his name again and grinned widely. "Renji! Abarai Renji! Mr. Vice-captain Renji!"

"What are you doing, you weirdo?" He had been prepared for there to be some awkwardness after what he had said to her earlier, but he was thrown off by her sudden weird behavior, "Did you eat something that went bad?"

"I just wanted to say your name." Her smile sobered, "all those years in the Kuchiki house, I never got to say your name. I was afraid that if I called your name, you wouldn't answer."

"You idiot. If you called my name, of course I would answer."

"Even if I was really far away?" When his eyes met hers, she knew that he understood.

"Even if you are really far away."

* * *

**A/N: **The Inoue fans must hate me now. But I like her, I really do! I consider Inoue very pivotal in Ichigo's decisions because she knows him so well, but I don't think he knows that much about her. And with Renji, well, closure will come in the next chapter so stay tuned! Let me know what you think! Any comments/criticisms are welcomed and appreciated. 


	14. Good Mourning

_"You idiot. If you called my name, of course I would answer."_

_"Even if I was really far away?" When his eyes met hers, she knew that he understood._

_"Even if you are really far away."_

**Chapter 14**

They stood there, two figures in the park lit faintly by the rising sun. There was nothing said between them, they just treasured the moement of being together.

Finally, Rukia took a deep breath. "My entire life, I have never made a decision on my own. I've always depended on you, on my brother, on how Soul Society governed that I should act. But for the first time I've found out what I, Kuchiki Rukia, want."

"What?"

"I want takoyaki."

Whatever answer Renji expected to hear, it was not this. He gave her a strange look, "If you want some I think there's a place down the street.."

Rukia shook her head and laughed, "That's not what I meant to say. What I mean is that I want to have friends, I want to go on dates, I want to be with the man I love and get married, and raise our children together, and grow old together. I want- I want to be human."

There was a passion in her voice that pierced his heart. If he had any doubts before, they were completely gone now.

"Even though I hate you sometimes, you know I'd die for you."

"I know." With a smile Rukia brought her hand up to his face, tenderly tracing his tattoos with her finger. "But someday I hope that you find something that's worth dying for, and live for it."

"Then go, you idiot." He said gruffly as he patted her head, "But if you regret it, I'll kill you."

"I'm not even going to bother trying to remember your ugly face, so you better visit me often," she threatened. They both smirked, completely understanding the other's true meaning behind their words.

"Like I would let that orange punk live in peace. When I become captain, I'm gonna make his life hell every day." Renji gave her a push. "Now go, before i change my mind."

He turned away from her so that she wouldn't see the smirk disappear from his face.

"Renji," she whispered as she put her hand in his one last time, "Thank you."

He nodded and in that moment, she was gone. But this time when he let her hand go, there was no pain, there was no bitterness. All that remained was _hope_.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow. I've been away for a long time. Thanks for all the comments, it really inspired me to come back and finish this story. This is a short one to get back in the swing of things. I know its slightly cheesy and OOC, but hey, I like happy endings :) Next update will be the Last Chapter!


	15. The Beginning

She let go of his hand.

She took one step away.

And then both feet took off in a run.

**Chapter 15**

_It's not too late._

He could barely hear his own thoughts as he ran, his heart pounding in his ears.

_Don't leave._

He approached the edge of the Karakura park, where the morning fog lazily lingered despite the rising sun.

_Rukia_

And then, like that fateful day when she first appeared in his room, he saw the shape of her emerge from the fog. When their eyes locked they stopped in their tracks. Though they stood no more than ten feet away from each other, both were nervous to take that next step closer.

"Rukia," suddenly seeing her standing there caused a wave of emotions to flood over him. Ichigo had to clear his voice a few times to get rid of the lump in his throat. "Rukia, I have something I have to tell you."

Her eyes never left his as she took one step closer.

"If you want to go, then go. But if you leave, I'm going to follow you."

Another step closer.

"I'm going to follow you around, live in your room, and interfere your life at every opportunity. Until finally, one day, you give up and come back."

The corners of her mouth threatened to curve up into a smile as she took yet another step.

"And I promise you I'll spend every day of the rest of our lives convincing you. That the only place you belong is here. With me."

Rukia took one final step in front of him, crossed her arms, and tilted her head up to him,"You came all the way here to tell me that?"

"No, idiot," He quickly took two big steps and stopped abruptly with his face a mere inches from hers. He grinned at the look of her eyes widening in surprise, "I'm here to tell you that I love you."

_That damn smug grin._ She didn't know whether she wanted to hug him or hit him. But before she could process her thoughts, her hands moved on their own and grabbed his head towards hers.

Her small hands framed his face and pulled his lips to her own. Ichigo could literally feel time stop and the world revolve around them. _This only happens in movies, _was his last coherent thought before he lost himself in the kiss

They stopped only when she could no longer go without breathing. Somehow during that time his hand had found his way buried in her hair. They paused, awkwardly, and she suddenly burst out laughing.

He felt a blush rise up to his cheeks. It was his first time, but he didn't think he was that bad.

"What the hell is on your face?"

* * *

Renji watched them from far away. He stood before the doors that were slowly opening to take him back to Soul Society. He couldn't bring himself to look away. He couldn't bring himself to leave. But then he heard her laugh, and it broke him from his spell. He turned away and took his first step through the door. Even from that distance he could hear that punk yelling at him to turn around and fight him like a man, or something like that. Renji just gave them a wave over the back of his head as the light enveloped him. And then he was gone.

"Dammit," Ichigo muttered to himself as he tried in vain to wipe off the red marker Renji had left on his face, "why did he have to leave looking so cool?"

Rukia gave one final wave, even though she knew Renji was no longer there. But she knew this wouldn't be the last they saw of him. She trusted him that their friendship would remain, just as he had trusted her decision to stay. She felt Ichigo put his arm over her shoulder, and she let him draw her into a hug.

They stood there for a long time, wrapped in each others embrace. When they finally drew away, Ichigo looked down at her questioningly.

She nodded.

And gave him a hard shove with her gloved hand.

* * *

_Just a few hours earlier.._

_Renji was lost in thought when he almost tripped over what he thought was a log in the middle of the sidewalk. He rolled it over and found the orange-haired punk instead. Interesting.. he pondered about it for a few seconds, but then just shrugged. Renji glanced around once, then pulled a red marker out from his robe and proceeded to graffiti his face. He supposed that the message wasn't necessary, and the coloring of the eyebrows probably wasn't either. But no one made fun of Renji's eyebrows and got away with it. He was Vice-Captain Abarai Renji, after all._

* * *

The hollow was a small one and Ichigo disposed of it quickly. The fight had the effect of making things feel back to normal. They spent the entire day walking around, chatting, joking, and killing hollows. The only difference being that now when they walked, they walked hand-in-hand. At the end of they day they lingered on their walk back to their house, neither one wanting to be the first to let go.

"So.." Ichigo had wanted to bring up the subject all day, but each time he lost his nerve.

Rukia prodded him with a sharp poke to his side. "So what?"

Ichigo winced and looked off to the side, trying hard to look nonchalant. "You never said anything back. After I told you, you know, that I loved you." As soon as the words tumbled out, he awkwardly tried to backfire. "But you know, that's cool. You don't have to say anything. Whatever."

"I thought I showed you when I kissed you," she said, suddenly feeling shy.

"Well, if that's the case, you can show me again when we get into my room." He whispered in a suggestive voice and gave her a ridiculous wink.

She felt her face blush before she registered that he was joking. They both started laughing as she chased him around trying to pound him with her fists. He finally let her catch him and after she hit him once, he grabbed her hand and brought it to rest against his chest. Their proximity stopped their laughter. And Rukia simply whispered, "I love you."

His mouth swooped down and caught hers in a long drawn kiss.

* * *

The next day Urahara received an expected visitor at his shop.

"Sounds like you were pretty busy, night before last." Rukia crossed her arms and glared at the man trying to hide behind Tessai.

Urahara fanned himself innocently. "Who me?"

She threw him off guard when she gave him a curt bow. "You allowed me to make it my choice, my decision. And for that, I thank you."

"Are you sure you'll get the future you want if you become a human?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Rukia answered determinedly, "but it's worth living for, to find out."

* * *

**A/N: **Whew, it's finally finished. I may come back and edit this later on, but I needed to post it without procrastinating. I'm sure nobody follows this story still, since the last time i posted was eons ago, but I wanted to thank all of y'all for reading, reviewing, and inspiring me.


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